Wednesday, May 30, 2012

4-Year-Old Sings "Ain't No Homos Gonna Make it to Heaven": Planting the Seeds of Intolerance

It's getting increasingly hard to keep religion out of my talk about the intolerance and hatred that leads to bullying.  I think today's latest episode takes the cake.
At the Apostolic Truth Tabernacle in Greensburg, Indiana, a congregation and its leader, watch and listen as a 4-year-old boy - A 4-YEAR-OLD BOY!!! - sings the words he's been taught:
Ain't no homo gonna make it to Heaven.
When you watch and listen to the video, it's actually hard to discern what this toddler, TODDLER, is saying.  He is, after all, 4-years-old!  However, when he reaches the climatic line of the song, his words ring crystal clear.  That's good coaching.

Outrage doesn't even begin to describe my emotion right now.  I'm sure that those one "the other side" of this great debate will argue that parents have the right to teach their young as they choose.  However, teaching intolerance at such a young age should be criminal on some level.  I'm entitled to my opinion.  Listen, Greensburg, Indiana is the city where Billy Lucas was bullied to his death for being perceived as being gay.
Did the Apostolic Truth Tabernacle rejoice in his death?  The kids who were responsible for bullying Billy until he couldn't take it anymore were groomed by people just like this!!!

A four-year-old has no idea what a "homo" is!  Nor should he.  So, why is he being taught to be intolerant towards them.  Can he even successfully recite his ABCs?  Can he successfully count to 100?  I don't know that answer.  I do know that he can stand in front of the "church" congregation and sing the words "ain't no homo gonna make it to Heaven".  And, that's beyond repulsive.

Shame on the Reverend Jeff Sangl for "preaching" hatred and intolerance in a place where the message is supposed to be one of love and acceptance.  Shame on a congregation that comes to their feet in a standing ovation as this toddler sung those words of intolerance.  In listening to the video, you can hear the good reverend saying "that's my boy!!!" as the toddler finished singing.

The world is watching as America finally begins to show its true colors.  "Christian nation"?  Hardly.  God is love.  That's written in that book they like to cherry-pick verses from and twist to fit their own bigotry.  Jesus Christ, according to their book, came to spread the good news of God's omnipresent love and acceptance.  How in the hell did it get twisted to the point where it's now a haven for bigotry, hatred, and intolerance!!??  Anyone who can answer than and figure out how to turn that misguided ship around will, no doubt, win a Nobel Peace Prize.  Meanwhile, the world truly is watching, while shaking their heads in disbelief, as the religious fanatics of this country continue to make a mockery of God and religion.  The unfortunate thing is the casualties of their war are young people.  Shame.



93 comments:

  1. the most devastating thing is that "christians",(or rather those that call themselves christians,) and the catholic church have frightened and ran off more people from following the path of the true Way than they ever could have won for the faith.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. " the path of the true Way"
      Ha! False dichotomy. So typical. Even since I was young, I've always seen religion was rather silly. I didn't become an atheist until three years ago, but now I feel I've reached a point where religion earns my absolute hatred, and it's because of stupid crap like the event in the article.

      Delete
    2. I so agree with all your comments

      Delete
    3. Now, THAT's an intelligent response!

      Delete
    4. Look guys I'm a Christian but I do not agree with this at all! It is wrong and disgusting on every level possible. I may not be ok with homo sexual life style but that doesn't mean all Christians are ok with the gay bashing and stuff! My son is almost 3 and never in a million years will I raise him to look down and judge ppl or harm someone be cuz of sexual preference or anything like that at all! I'm sorry that there Are Christians like this!!

      Delete
    5. Christians who teach and preach such hate have no right to call themselves Christian. In fact, I can't wait to watch them quite literally burn in hell for going against one of God's biggest commandments, "Love thine neighbor as thyself." If you want to sing songs about how wrong you are, then go ahead, though I would prefer you get your self esteem or mentality problems checked out soon afterward. Hate really doesn't get anyone anywhere....

      Delete
    6. I was Pentecostal in the UPC churches in Texas for about 30 years... I came to the conclusion a few years ago that not many Pentecostals will make it to Heaven because of things like this...Your not the judge..God will be.. It's your place to love and incourge people but you judge for hair, clothes, churchs people go to and everything else... Not your place to judge and This little boy had been tought something really wrong. I turely hope this pastor teaches something better than this..

      Delete
  2. Replace "Homos" with "Haters in the song, and you might get closer to the truth. Sad that preachers, who are supposed to be role-models for their community and mirror the teachings of the bible, would turn the message of love into one of hatred and intolerance.

    ReplyDelete
  3. THE SAD THING ABOUT THIS ENTIRE EPISODE (referring to the 4 YEAR OLD) IS THAT THIS CHILD MIGHT IN THE END BE GAY, AND BECAUSE OF THE NEANDATHAALIC AND HYPOCRITICAL MESSAGES HE HAS BEEN RECIEVING... MIGHT END UP BEING ANOTHER STATISTIC... I WONDER IF THE APOSTOLIC TRUTH TABERNACLE WOULD BE SO JOYOUS....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The very same thought crossed my mind! How sad that this child is being used as a pawn for hatred & intolerance....

      Delete
    2. I have thought about this as well.

      Delete
  4. This is increasingly becoming dangerous and criminal, this US evangelicalism induced hate. The parents of that child should be brought to court. There surely must be a link between what the church preaches and the bullying Billy Lucas had to endure.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I may be an agnostic, seeing as how silly I think Christianity is in the bloody first place, and I agree with this whole-heartedly. I wish I could see that hate is blind, but in this case, the parents of this child, the reverend and this disgusting community all deserve the unmitigated fury that is my wrath. I swear, with whoever occupies Heaven as my witness, I will beat that reverend with a baseball bat if that kid so much as TOUCHES a kid the wrong way for being gay. I'll find a way to do it, too, and don't think I won't.

      Delete
  5. a little more info.... http://abcnews.go.com/2020/raised-hate-kids-westboro-baptist-church/story?id=10809348#.T8ZioLBfG1s

    ReplyDelete
  6. Welp. I quit.
    I'm ashamed to be Christan.
    I'm ashamed to be American.
    This is just.....unbelievable. I'm so sick of hearing about stuff like this. I always feel a sudden urge to just apologize for everything I've ever done ever, but it's not like it would help. Apologizing for them won't change anything either. Stuff like this is what's destroying the U.S. and honestly, I'm starting to not care if it does. I'm going to pray for that little boy.
    I hope BS like this stops soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. I stopped being a Christian a long time ago. The religion taught a whole lot of crap. However, there is one thing that I learned: Your relationship with God should be a relationship, not a religion. SO many people out there have been treating it as a religion, and I can easily picture God sitting upon His throne in heaven looking down on those so-called "Christians" and shaking His head and their failures to understand His teachings.

      I'm not a Christian, but I believe in God, and I believe that he does NOT approve of such hate.

      Delete
  7. That is sad. We have to keep free speech and keep moving forward with equal rights for all! The sad thing for that kiddo is that he grow up to be whoever he is and one day this video of him at church will haunt him.

    ReplyDelete
  8. It is just awful to make a child sing that, and think that at such a young age. He has no idea what he is saying, and he is being used, to get some sort of sick message across. To me this is a form of child abuse.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree whole-heartedly to that. It IS child abuse. And it seems even worse to me because the child doesn't even know that it has a bad affect.

      Delete
  9. This is such a sad story, and turns my stomach. How can humanity be like this? Billy, rest in peace. x

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow - sadness for this.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I want a Nobel Peace Prize, so here ya go:

    Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13
    Genesis 19:24-25
    Deut. 22:5
    1 Kings 14:24
    Isaiah 3:9
    Romans 1:31-32

    And finally, the verses I'm assuming they're reading from, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. :3

    And that's just a few, but there ya go.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do not think there is a Nobel Peace Prize for you. You need to worry about your Judgment day and stop trying to pass judgment for God.

      Matthew 7
      [ Judging Others ] “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ...


      1 Samuel 24:12
      May the LORD judge between me and you, may the LORD avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you.

      Delete
    2. People should not cherry pick bible verses to support their hatred,and intolerance. Unless you abide by all the laws as written in Leviticus than speak on.

      Ask them to quote one passage in which Jesus says something about homosexuality. Find one quote that speaks about women laying with women. They can't. Sorry but using the bible the gospel of intolerance and yet continue to sin when they don't follow all the laws. Until then don't defile the bible. Remember eating pork, fish without scales, meat with milk are also spoken against and meet the same punishment. You don't find many saying those who eat those deserve to have their rights remove and killed.

      Delete
    3. Dingo, you might want to read the Bible: Psalms 145:9 to see that “God is good to all; His mercies apply to all creatures.” It does not pick and choose who God extends His mercy to.. It is extended to ALL creatures, both gay and straight..

      Delete
    4. Hey, I never said the Bible never said to love thy neighbour and that God loves all, I was just giving the passages that they asked for. I never said they should use those to support their hatred, either. I have no problem with Christians, I have Christian friends. I was just giving the info they asked for. Since the bible contradicts itself in many places, as you can see, some use the verses I found to justify hate and some use yours to justify love.

      Tendyourown, I'd worry about my judgement day if 9,001 of them hadn't already passed.

      Delete
    5. Jesus was confronted with homosexuality in Matthew Chapter 8. When the Centurion asked for his servant to be healed Jesus said he would come to his house and heal him and then commended him on his faith. Now some people want to hide behind the KJV as being original, however, lets go to the really original version - Greek. The Centurion asked him to heal his pais (meaning younger male sex servant). We do not find that Jesus condemned the man nor did he ask them to go home and get wives. Did he know? YES! Like the woman at the well who said she had no husband and Jesus told her she had 5 and the one she had now wasn't her husband. I think if Jesus had been against homosexuality he would have said so!

      Delete
    6. To those who say that people pick and chose what scriptures to live by, that is very true. But, reading all these posts show that those who believe in God is doing this, and those that don't are as full of hate as those who pick and choose. Silly, how people react when their heart is hurt. Can't see the Forrest for the tree's.

      Delete
    7. Leviticus - Good thing gay men don't lay with men the same way they lay with women.

      Genesis 19:24-25 - Good thing God was punishing them for their pride and wrath, and for being xenophobic rapists.

      Deuteronomy 22:5 - Try and tell women they can't wear jeans... I'd like to see what happens. Also, does this include kilts?

      1 Kings 14:24 - Ok, I don't recall the discussion being about prostitution.

      Isaiah 3:9 - Out of context. Once again dealing with pride and inhumane behavior. The sins of Sodom was not anal sex or homosexual relations, as I stated earlier.

      I think you got the wrong Romans passage. The one usually quoted against same-sex relations is Romans 1:26-27, which deals with men abandoning wives and committing adultery with male prostitutes in the original text, not men who love each other as life partners.

      Corinthians 6:9-10 - This passage has so many different translations it should just be thrown right out. Modern English translations include the word homosexual, which didn't exist as a word back then, otherwise wouldn't you see it every else that supposedly is speaking against homosexuality? The actual passage speaks of male prostitution and sodomites, which modern interpretation of the word means those who participate in anal sex, but really means those who are full of wrath, pride, and hatred toward outsiders (xenophobia).

      Pretty sure I should get that Nobel Peace Prize, now.

      Delete
  12. This is should be against the law! I can feel my blood boil as I type. If all of you saintly aholes out there would take the time to READ your BIBLE you would be ashamed! There is 1 JUDGE! O N E! That is GOD. However you perceive him according to YOUR chosen religion. Is it ok for me to teach this type of song to my 4 year old and encourage him to bully the hell out of YOUR 4 year old because YOU chose a different religion from MINE???? Let someone bully YOUR child to their DEATH, THEN we will see how you feel! WAKE UP!!!!! Teach your children to respect one another even when they do not agree. The BIBLE SCREAMS the truth! There is only ONE with the "right" to judge. Focus on your own actions so you can face your own concequences!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. These are Satanist attention whores like Fred Phelps. They cannot be considered Christian. They are American Taliban looking to implement their version of Sharia Law.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I turned away from religion back in college, because it didn't make sense that an omniscient being was so judgemental, and made so many bad things happen. I found a God of my understanding in AA at 33, and still heard in the baptist church how I was going to Hell for being agnostic, but right now 20 years later, most of the stuff I hear out the religions, just pushes me further out the door.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wouldn't it be ironic if that little boy grows up to be gay?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Such stupid, ignorant, hateful, people. They have no idea, or don't care about what they're teaching the young. I agree it should be criminal a t some level. It is hate speech. It teaches intolerance and what do you when you are intolerant. You try to force your belief on someone who doesn't believe as you do. So, a 4 year old grows up into a 14 yr old. He has a gay school mate. Intolerance blooms and you have, well words, or actions.

    ReplyDelete
  17. God forgive them for they know not what they do!

    ReplyDelete
  18. And the sad thing is this is in MY town.....
    Like hell I'm letting this stand on my watch!!!!
    If anyone else is up to boycott/sit in get a hold of me and I'd gladly coordinate and set this up. This needs to be stopped!

    mraloth@gmail.com

    title it boycott or it will get slammed by a very over active spam filter on my servers

    ReplyDelete
  19. That poor kid is going to see that video years from now and probably feel terrible.
    That makes me sad.

    ReplyDelete
  20. UMMM ????? these verses come to mind.
    Matthew 7:1
    Deuteronomy 1:17
    Luke 6:37

    But un-like them I forgive them

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Matthew 7:1 Deuteronomy 1:17 Luke 6:37 real nice all about forgiven but you forgot the important scriptures of all Leviticus 21:13 also Leviticus 18:22 People need to follow all the rules in the Bible not just pick out the ones that suit their desires

      Delete
    2. Whether people do or don't follow the rules is their own business and free will. The outright, clear-cut responsibility of all people choosing to follow the path of Jesus Christ is to love your neighbor, care for your neighbor, and do not judge your neighbor. Every person will receive true judgement from God alone, and there are very specific and harsh warnings against anyone other than God passing judgement.

      This says it very well, I think:
      http://imgur.com/gallery/QUHDh

      Delete
  21. I agree exactly. Religion seems to be the cause of so many problems in this world. And to all those people who say gay marraige shouldnt be legal because the bible says it is wrong, first of all we all have our rights to our own religion, so that argument is not valid. The bible doesnt make the rules. Amd they can all go open a textbook and read about the mess that happened when it did.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I just started crying when I saw this......
    It make's me sad to think that when people see this, they think of all christians to be that way...
    When I came out, a few years ago, a few people shunned me, but most of my friends at church still treated me the same way, and I even brought my girlfriend there a few times! And then my best friend (who was 16 at the time) became pregnant, they sympathized with her and let her hold her baby shower in the cafe area because she had no other place to do it. There ARE good christians out there. But those people don't fall under that catagory.

    ReplyDelete
  23. The picture of the beautiful Billy Lucas will haunt my thoughts. :( He looks so much like my son. My heart goes out to his mother and all of the people close to him. As I sit here writing this I can not hold back the steady flow of tears. This video is so unbelievably sad.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Facebook unfortunately won't let me share this link . It says it's spammy or junk. If anyone could please tag me or post to me I'd greatly appreciate. :) thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  25. This is truly sad to think a 4yr old is already being trained to be such a hater. Its awful. Wtf is wrong with ppl that first off they can't even let a child be innocent but that are so many ppl that are just fucked up in the head. If christ was still on the cross he'd come down now for sure and beat these ppl with it

    ReplyDelete
  26. Ain't no Homo sapiens gonna make it to heaven, more likely
    Probably as it's not real.
    But even if it was do you personally believe that those adults that were enticing the little boy to sing the inflammatory song about some other homo sapiens that the little boy may actually become one day. But then I am betting that he’ll look back on these naive days with disgust and a little bit of contempt.

    ReplyDelete
  27. It really doesn't matter, because there is no heaven. There is only hell, and we are all living in it right now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. if you really believe there is no Heaven and only Hell and we are living it now your really blinded by Satan the ruler of Hell Heaven Hell and Earth is what we have it is so sad you think there is no Heaven Satan has got you fooled

      Delete
  28. OMG! Ignorance is people's worst enemy. The world is at war because of religious fanatics such as these ones. It should become against the law this type of behavior. Enough is enough. Wake up you sick, fanatic people. I bet that-if there is a Heaven- you psychos are not going to be there. As far as I am concerned hating people would not be accepted by Jesus.

    ReplyDelete
  29. These people aren't Christian (neither am I btw) they are just bigots. Proof that they are not Christian can be seen at 0:58 on the video when someone in the front row flips the kid the "devil horns".

    ReplyDelete
  30. This is horrid, and my thoughts go out to this little boy who will forever be associated with this video regardless of what path he chooses in life. We should all pray that he is not to brainwashed and damaged to become his own person one day...Most of us are intelligent enough to know that all Christians, even all fanatical Christians, are NOT haters.And it is only through those of us who know better that we can make things change... Some of the comments I see on here are pretty sad and come across as hopeless...Comments that just show hate right back, I don't agree and it pisses me off, but hating back won't make a difference and makes one no better than the other. And to the few who say they give up on being Christians or Americans, that is the worst thing you could do. Don't give up on your faith, whatever it is, or your culture or your ANYTHING because someone or some group is giving that aspect of you a bad name! Scream your point of view from the rooftops!!! Let it be heard just as loud and clear that you ARE a (Insert whatever here) and you DO NOT hate! Support those who agree with you, stand together, love who you are and do not let them take you down...that is how we make changes.

    ReplyDelete
  31. How different from the songs I was taught in church when I was tha age:

    Jesus loves the little children;
    All the children of the world;
    Red and Yellow, Black and White;
    They are precious in his sight;
    Jesus loves the little children of the world.

    And then there's this one:

    Jesus loves, this I know;
    For the Bible tells me so.
    Little ones to Him belong;
    They are weak, but He is strong.
    Yes, Jesus loves me
    Yes, Jesus loves me
    Yes Jesus loves me
    The Bible tells me so.

    Nothing at all qualifying that love, or making it exclusive to a particular type of child, or even a particular religion. Just unconditional love for all children. That's what the church should be teaching.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know :/ makes me sick..i went to a christian school and just recentley transfered to a public school and im bi..now i see this and its just so sickening.

      Delete
  32. THIS IS HORRIBLE!!! :'(

    ReplyDelete
  33. To those Christians who are here, and are saddened by this:
    Do not be ashamed of your religion, for this is a free country.
    Instead, be ashamed of the people like this that do not dissuade the stereotypes put upon "Christians," as they call themselves. No, they are extremists. They're the ones afraid of the Taliban, but would do the same thing given the chance.
    Believe in what you want to believe, love as you want to love.
    As for being ashamed of being American, eh, me too. :P

    I am a Pagan, and this hurts so much. I am taught not to hurt others, as Christians are (supposedly) taught to love. One could argue that we are only human, but these people are old enough to realize what they're doing.
    But I don't think they do.
    I am also currently expecting. On my baby's first day of school I will tell him/her: "Sweetie, I gotta be honest. Not everyone in the world will like you, and you aren't going to like everyone in the world. There are mean people out there. But that's okay. What you gotta remember is to treat everyone else like you want to be treated.
    And if someone is mean, well, treat'em nice anyway. It makes them mad."

    Love, peace, happiness, blessed be,
    Sarah.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ...the golden rule paraphrased so beautifully; 'if someone is mean, treat'em nice anyway... [and yes, it will make them mad, because isn't the whole point of projecting mean is to have your yayas multiply where they land ? ie, meaness begets meaness, and that's no bible verse !!
      TURN IT AROUND

      Delete
  34. This made me want to kick a puppy. It's so aggravating and ignorant and makes me want to slap the shit out of his parents.

    ReplyDelete
  35. The only consolation I can take is that their singing of this song is not protected by law. Hate speech and defamation is punishable by law, first amendment be damned.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Why can't everyone just get along and have a cup of tea?? There's so much hate in the world and it seems really stupid that people can't accept differences as something that makes us who we are. I'm bisexual and I try not to take shit like this personally but when people start hating me for "not being able to choose" or being "wrong" somehow, it just makes me angry that they dislike me for something I can't really control. Gay people deserve the same rights as straight people partnership wise and people who rage about that need their heads checked because it's basic human rights

    ReplyDelete
  37. Why can't everyone just stop hating one another?? Do they not appreciate that the world would be a much better place if we accepted one anothers differences? I hate the fact that when people find out I'm bisexual, my so called friends start hating me for "not being able to choose" or somehow being "wrong" or "unnatural". Gay people can't help the way they feel, and no one should be discriminating against that, especially not a religion where (for sake of argument im classifying Catholics and Protestants as Christian because well.....they both are) it seems half the priests are gay or pedophilic. Apologies for any spelling mistakes. It just seems hypocritical and old fashioned for the Church to hate on gays and it's hard to not take it personally

    ReplyDelete
  38. This is one of the reasons I get a little upset at young children going to church! They are easily manipulated as they believe anything they are told by their parents and people they love.
    Depending on the church/parents they can be told to respect and love people or they can be taught that it is OK to discriminate and spread hate! People should be allowed to choose for themselves, by the time this boy is old enough to choose he will not know how to because he has not been told there is a choice!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Honestly, the sad thing is this isn't a new song. Just a variant on an old one with a new age of discrimination. I'll leave it to the rest of you to guess what used to be in place of "homo."

    ReplyDelete
  40. Homosexual is against God's word he never intended a woman to lust over another woman same goes for a man there was ADAM and EVE one man one woman It is not right for a young child to sing such songs because we are all sinners we will all be judged God loves the sinner but HATES the sin
    Some pastors should wake up they are leading the sheep down the wrong path

    ReplyDelete
  41. Last I checked Jesus preached love not hate. And honestly I think he's quite ashamed of these people who have the gall to call themselves "Christians." Because the true Christians are those who act and preach love and not hate.

    But then again unlike these guys I'm not arrogant enough to presume that I know what God likes.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Well, I got news for him - he's right. We "homos" will be too busy down the street gentrifying Purgatory, which will help drive up the home values until everyone would rather move there. Then we'll refuse to sell. We'll also have the better bars, night clubs, restaurants, and shops, and you'll all have to get your hair done there as well! The best plays, concerts and musicals will be in Purgatory. The only entertainment Heaven will offer will be tractor pulls and NASCAR. Sorry Apostolic Truth Tabernacle, but that's all you'll have left.

    ReplyDelete
  43. You are so right, "religion" is the problem. Perhaps if we were a little more spiritual and less religious... Bumper "snicker": This world needs more spiritual fruits and less religious nuts.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Winning a nobel prize isn't as prestigious as it once was... When Obama gets a peace prize for continuing the Bush doctrine and Paul Krugman gets one in economics for being completely clueless about the market crash, those prizes are barely worth the gold they are stamped on

    ReplyDelete
  45. Well, honestly, I am a bit confused as to what the big deal is. If that is what they believe, they do have the right to their beliefs. Belief, itself, should not be illegal or criminal just because you or anybody else disagrees.
    In their doctrine, an unrepentant homosexual will not go to their heaven.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What? Are you serious? So by that same logic you think it's ok that the KKK teach their children racism? Or that, say, a murderer should be allowed to teach his children it's ok to kill because "it's his belief"?

      Delete
  46. As a minister (New Thought Christian, Metaphysical, Interfaith/Interspiritual), I find it utterly unacceptable that anyone who claims to follow a spiritual path would or could condone hatred of any kind! Christians who hate Muslims, for example, is equally unacceptable. It is time to hold ALL government officials, judges, teachers, priests, and ministers, etc. accountable for encouraging and spreading hate. You do not hate to like interracial marriage but you do not have the right to condone the harm or those who do. You do not have to like gay marriage or members of the LGBT community but you have no right condoning or encouraging the harm, the hate, the unjust treatment anyone.
    Despite what you preach and teach, Scripture does not encourage the killing of anyone in this day and age. That was based upon the law of the time just as many other out dated practices such the practice of removing the menstruating women from the home.
    Jesus preached and taught love.
    Love your neighbor!

    Sincerely Rev. Dr. Anderson

    ReplyDelete
  47. I wouldn't say I'm totally religious, but church is there when I go through hard times. I feel absolutely sick when people talk like this! We are taught to love all, yet we judge everyone and say It's okay!? No.

    ReplyDelete
  48. This is just ... awful. Just awful. I was raised in a very strict religious household and when my brother came out as gay when I was 4, my parents shunned him. They didn't even tell me the reason I could no longer see or talk to my brother was because he was gay, they just said that he was "bad" and that if I should see him, I should run away. Fortunately, after I moved out, we reconnected, but I will never, ever forget the years I lost that I could have spent with my brother, all in the name of religion.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Just so you know, I am a Canadian person who fully believes in tolerance and I also find it despicable that a whole church congregation and leader inclusive, would not only waste precious time teaching a 4 yr. old such harmful bigotry, but that they would then clap to show their appreciation. Any way you look at it, it is wrong. This child needs to learn about the world a little at a time, at a level he can understand. He is not ready to voice his own opinion because he has not heard and drawn his own conclusions on the subject. In those surroundings, he will probably never get the chance to come to the realization that we, as humans, will most probably never have the ability to reach a conclusion on this matter simply because those of faith are taught that it is for God and God only to decide.

    1 small thing though... in your blog you state that 'Americans are beginning to show their true colors'. In essence, you are putting that statement out there much like saying all homosexuals are bad. Whether people are bad or not has nothing to do with their orientation; the same as 'Americans' as a whole are not tainted with those so-called true colors. Many Americans ARE homosexuals and many more truly believe in freedom of choice. Just a reminder not to paint a complete group of people with the same paintbrush. Otherwise, it tends to come across as the same type of bias as homophobic people have against homosexuals. As to the reason I made a point of stating that I am Canadian at the beginning, just so that you would understand that I chose to make this last point as a general point, and not because I am a part of the group that you named ... Americans. BTW, Canadians are just as divided on this subject as Americans or any other groups of people. Thanks for listening.

    ReplyDelete
  50. I do think it is a farce to call ourselves free as americans (notice I didn't capitalize? because this country sucks just as much as everywhere else)People, please, love yourselves for who you are, and if you don't, become someone that you can love. No matter what the other guy says. And as far as Christianity is concerned or at least the Bible anyway, you do know that it is just a big story right? It was written by man not God, so nobody really knows what Gods word is. Everybody is arguing about our interpretation of something we don't know. But I can guess this God is probably pretty pissed that we're putting words in "his" mouth. I sure don't have all the answers and I don't claim to know what I'm talking about but I do know this hate breeds hate even if it's hate of haters.

    ReplyDelete
  51. This breaks my heart! Babies are born knowing nothing more than to love, they have no fear. It is those around the child that teach hate, fear, lies, judgement, violence and no much more. It is sad and just wrong that any person should or is taught anything but compassion, tolerance, acceptance and humanity.

    The views some hold onto today are barbaric and unjust. I have to say after traveling and seeing how other countries are so much more accepting of others, the USA has some serious issues that really should be addressed a lot more strictly, and it needs to happen NOW!

    ReplyDelete
  52. Of course no child should be taught intolerance. I wouldn't teach my children to hate homophobic Christian people. I do believe through teaching the future generations we can make everyone on all sides more and more capable of patience and compassion. Therefore, it is absolutely important for the greater good of the human species to teach tolerance, and ultimately, acceptance.
    I do disagree with the way you are treating this child. "A 4-year old doesn't know what a homo is, and shouldn't!" Absolutely wrong. Children should not have information withheld from them. (For that matter nobody should). Of course, this parent is the wrong person to teach it, but if we keep homosexuality in the dark, it will seem taboo when it is perfectly normal and acceptable. Children of same-sex couples know from their earliest memory they have "two moms" or "two dads". And clearly they do just fine.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Its pretty much things such as this that made me dislike Christianity so much. I am currently an eclectic wiccan, and choose to stay that way. No way in hell I'm going back to Christianity, listening to some asshole on a podium preach to me out of a damn book that was written 2000 years ago. The old gods have much more prescidence, why worship a God you cannot feel? I feel the earth, I feel its energies, and manipulating these energies for good is my job. There is no Satan, there is no "sin", there is no ultimate good or evil being. There is hell however, I do believe that, just not what it says in the Bible

    ReplyDelete
  54. Who wants to go to heaven if it's full of people like them? ......Also I have to go off topic in response to one comment. I respectfully disagree that this is THE reason why people become atheists. People like this are a TRIGGER for why people shy away from religious groups. But people become actual atheists because they can't find a reason to believe there is any higher power, not because they are trying to separate themselves from religion. Deciding you are an atheist is not deciding you are "anti-religious". You don't go to atheism because you don't want to be associated with a certain group, you choose atheism when you realize you don't believe in "god" or whatever you want to call it. It's a personal decision about what you believe, it has nothing to do with other people or anything social. It becomes social when atheists join groups of other atheists and get active, but one doesn't choose atheism because they want to become part of a group of other atheists. The lack of belief has to precede becoming part of an organized group......Now to go back on topic, speaking of atheism. I think it's interesting how people try to justify whether being gay is right or wrong with bible verses as if that will convince EVERYONE. Well what about the people who think the bible is just a book? I don't give a crap what the bible says so additional justification needs to be made with logical reasons....I'll save you the trouble; there are NO reasons that can justify hating someone for something arbitrary like their sexuality. Fuck heaven! When I die I want to know the legacy I've left behind isn't one of hatred and hurt.

    ReplyDelete
  55. I am gay and an ex-Mormon. I am also a recovered alcoholic. It took me years of relapses with alcohol and left behind a dumpster raped and severely beaten to realize the main cause of my alcoholism was my Mormon faith's stance on homosexuality. I tried for 20 years to 'be straight' and it almost killed me. I finally realized I had to denounce my faith completely for the safety of my own life. That was a year ago and have had no desire to drink since. I do have an understanding of god, which is physics, math, and science. That is what I choose to call him. I hope there was no one in the audience listening to this little boy who was who, like me, heading down a road of destruction and annihilation.

    ReplyDelete
  56. "A four-year-old has no idea what a "homo" is! Nor should he. So, why is he being taught to be intolerant towards them. Can he even successfully recite his ABCs? Can he successfully count to 100?"

    First of all, I don't see why a four-year-old shouldn't know what a "homo" is. One thing I hate even more than people like his parents are people who are afraid to tell their children about sexual minorities. Why? Is it something to be afraid of? That kid is old enough to know that people love each other, that his parents love each other, that his big sister loves his boyfriend. Why isn't he old enough to know that there are men who love men? It's love nevertheless, and the hypocrites are those who say their love is equal but still are afraid to teach their kids about it equally. I'm supposing you support same-sex marriages and their right to adopt; why isn't it wrong that those children will have known for as long as they remember what is a homo? You silly americans, it's so hilarious how big a thing something so normal like sexuality can be to you.

    Secondly, I feel like you are seriously underestimating four-year-olds. Many can already read and write at that age, and definitely know how to count, too. Or at least here they do.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Romans 1: 18-32 This is the Word of the Lord
    God's Wrath on Unrighteousness

    18 For kthe wrath of God lis revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be mknown about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, nhave been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,7 in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they obecame futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 pClaiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and qexchanged the glory of rthe immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

    24 Therefore sGod gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to tthe dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for ua lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, vwho is blessed forever! Amen.

    26 For this reason wGod gave them up to xdishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, ymen committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

    28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, zGod gave them up to aa debased mind to do bwhat ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know cGod's righteous decree that those who practice such things ddeserve to die, they not only do them but egive approval to those who practice them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This was written by man NOT god in fact Jesus was silent on the subject of homosexuality even tho it was considered normal at the time he was on earth. If homosexuality is sinful why was he silent on the subject. O now i remember love one another as i have loved you. how can one believe that to love another person is evil. Love conkers all.I am a Gay man and I love my boyfriend more than i love my self If God were to believe i am evil for loving some one then i wouldn't have the beautiful relationship I have with him.

      Delete
  58. The only Religion that I am aware of that preaches such Hate and Intolerance in the US is Christianity! I did something about it for my self. I took my bible and I got up and threw it in the trash can!

    Maybe if the bible was outlawed in public we might have a half way decent society.

    ReplyDelete