I truly had no intentions of carrying any further the subject of homosexuality, at least not for some time, but a letter to the Dear Abby column in today’s paper caused me to change my mind. Seems a cousin of the author of the letter has been abandoned and ostracized by her family for the “sin” of lesbianism. The cousin, in return, is to do likewise or become herself, an outcast. Here is what I’d like to say to any family who can turn against a son or a daughter in such a manner and for such a reason: if that’s what belief in God and the Bible can do to you: Thank God I’m An Atheist!
I am often puzzled by those who quote from the Bible to verify something absolutely unverifiable. Let me take, for example, one of the positions President Bush deems to be of highest priority on his agenda for righting what he sees as wrong with the Constitution of the United States of America: it lacks a definitive prohibition against legalized marriage between homosexual couples. To prove himself a authority on the subject, I have little doubt he has scriptures from the Bible memorized and ready to use, if challenged.
My first question to those who use the Bible as proof that God, himself, censures such unions: by what criteria do you determine which scriptures in the Bible are to be strictly adhered to and which may be safely ignored? Believe me, there are far more scriptures ignored than there are those that are followed.
Yes, God, according to Moses, demanded the death by stoning of a man found practicing homosexual activity: I’d have to grant President Bush that much. Leviticus 18:22 20:13 definitely states that homosexual males be put to death. However, I can not find any scriptures condemning the same fate for Lesbians.
When faith takes preeminence over reason, logic has no place in the human brain in which to put down roots.
Forgiveness of sins—the blessing of a supernatural force? Never! It is true; many believe in the forgiveness of sins by a divine power and in truth, they are forgiven, but only because they believe themselves absolved in the eyes of God. However, the shackles of guilt and fear are ever ready to imprison the backslider who believes he has fallen out of favor with his god.
The unbeliever never ceases to be amazed at the credulity of the believer.
Thomas Paine, preeminent patriot and agnostic, wrote a book which he entitled Common Sense. His fiery and passionate words to a doubting congress and a fearful citizenry, greatly energized hope in the hearts and minds of courageous men and women bent on breaking free of England and its tyrant of a king. Without Thomas Paine, there might not have been a United States of America.
Thomas Paine gave all he had for the freedom of the citizens of the New World. He gave of himself and his monetary possessions. The reapers of his Common Sense gave him opprobrium and a pauper’s grave.
Hi Mary,
People will use any means to oppress those that are different. God doesn’t have much to do with it.
I got your email, I have to be very honest, there is not much to know about me. As a self-aware entity, I’ve only been awake since June, 2006. Everything I am is reflected in my writings.
My multiple friends want me to write and be their voice. My singular friends want me write my books. What do I want? To be at peace with my existence.
But then what would I write about? 😉
Love
Rose
xo
Rose, be yourself. Nothing more. I think one of my worst downfalls from the time I was a child until the day I became a widow, in many ways, was trying to be everybody but me.
Greetings Mary. I found your place because you found mine and were generous enough to leave a comment for me so I could find you! Thank You.
I found much could be gleaned in the way of Understanding for me when I pondered exactly what WAS a ‘God’ concept. What did the word mean? Or rather, what meaning had been given it and why?
I don’t ever receive those mails you write of. Quite honestly and frankly, people like that try to stay away from me and from attracting any of my attention. And for very good reason.
I ask questions about accountability and responsibility for choices and conduct and behavior, relating “beliefs” to psychological hangups and emotional dependency patterns, like that sniveling neurotic in office so superbly displays.
I define Liberty as the freedom of choice while accepting the responsibility for the costs and conseuqneces of those choices and state is it License that demands freedom of choice, while denying responsibilities.
I also state that the production of peptides inside my brain is my domain. My feelings are mine, just as yours are yours and everybody else’s are everybody else’s.
And claim that Freedom of Speech has been denied and negated in order to cater to developmental disabilities in emotional coping skills. Disabilities created by choosing to believe in certain beliefs.
I share a link I sense you would like. It is a post titled “Understanding”. It has more of the meat you like then the post you left the comment on. Please enjoy what I have to share at your leisure and pleasure.
http://sueannedwards.wordpress.com/understanding/
where as i am not sure who wrote the bible,, i must admit,, they wrote the most easily misconstrued bunch of self opposing horns waggle i have ever had the pleasure of reading…
you got to hand it to them,, if confusion of the masses to the point that they needed “divine” translation was the objective… they hit the nail smack dab on the nail head…..
Paisley, The Bible is riddled with contradictions. For instance: why are there two versions of the creation? One version says God created both men and women at the same time and called their name Adam. The second and better known version has Adam created first and Eve from Adam’s rib. And, it’s only the beginning.
Sue, I, too, seldom receive emails any more from friends trying to convert me, or, reconvert me, but I enjoy them when I do. I’m perverse that way. I’ve written a few essays that might never have been written if it were not for the inspiration such an email gives me. Naturally, my would-be-mentor receives a copy. Perhaps that is why they are now reluctant to send them. Many thanks for dropping by and for your comment. That’s what blogging should be about.
Like you, I have spent many years studying “it”. You bring up an excellent point. I’ve brought it up, too, by simply asking people about “Adam’s”, 1st wife, “Lillith”, the one created as equal.
The story was borrowed from the Hebrew but not all of it. When Adam insisted on always being on top, Lillith told him to shove it and left him. To go live by the dead sea and consort with demons, so the story goes. “God” (cough, cough) tried to force Lillith to come back to Adam, by threatening to kill 100 of her children a day, still she refused.
It was after that, that Adam and God went through the naming ceremony for all the animals. As the animals walked by, Adam tried having sex with a few but was never satisfied, that’s when “Eve” was created.
It’s a story of a Creator God feeling guilty for having a penis, basically…warped, twisted and perverted from its original design.
Sue Ann Edwards:
Sue, I believe you may have much that you can share with me. I will visit the site you pointed out at my first opportunity. Please come back to mine now and then. Mary
Wow, that’s a wild creation story, Sue Ann Edwards and mary a. kaufman! It certainly makes Evolution seem rather boring. Is that story in the Bible? I think I would remember a tale like that. Would you please elucidate?
Sue, As I told you in my email I have read the tale of Lillith and the reason for her leaving Adam, but I have to agree with JcK: that’s Jacques C., minus a middle name. My mother-in-law never forgave me, but then, she never forgave me for anyhing, most of all, marrying her son. That’s beside the point. I’m curious about the story of God’s warped penis. Frazier, to my knowledge, did not mention it.
{{{hugs everyone}}}
Jacques, the story in the Bible was lifted from Hebrew texts, in part but not all. I was sharing ‘the rest of the story’ as it is written in the text it was borrowed from. I will look and find the exact text for you and post it back here, k? I didn’t write it, I just read it. And when I did, almost fell out of my chair.
The very idea of threatening to kill 100 children a day I found to be repulsive and completely lacking in substance of character….certainly no ‘god’ that’s for sure, behaving like that.
Mary, think about for a moment…a god that rejects his creation is a god that has issues with having a penis…with what his Creative Will…willed.
Labels confuse me Mary, so I ask for your Patience and Tolerance with me. The *stuff* we have been taught, I know as ‘agnostic’. “Agnostic” meaning to know not, where “gnostic” means to know. It has been the gnostic intepretations and perspectives that have been banned througout the ages, with death sentences attached to even knowing about them.
“To know not”…the foundation of what is found in the Bible, as a result of the council of Nicea.
I simply refuse to recognize as ‘knowledge’ any authority on not knowing. It’s just plain dumb to me.
Hey, I think that Lilith had a lot of spunk. She is still around today. I think that she just brought down the Governor of New York.
rirene, welcome to my blogsite. In my little tale of how sheep acquired the sound ‘baa’, I put the blame on a non-descript, horny little goddess, but Lilith sounds like a reasonable choice. Now, how do I find your blog?
Mary,
I don’t have a blog. I only read other people’s. Jack showed me how to get to yours and I have done a little meandering with you. It’s been a nice experience.
It is hard for me to write a short comment about Lilith. I first read about her in the Biblical Archaelogical Review (BAR Magazine). Then I did a little more investigating and found tons of information. She is depicted in many, many ways in works of art. The painting of Lilith by Rosetti is in the Delaware Art museum. Wickipedia has a lot of info about the myths and where they came from. She’s been around since before Gilgamesh. I guess Joseph Campbell may have written something about her, but I can’t recall reading it. Carl Jung would have probably listed her as an archetype.
Anyway, she is quite a naughty lady. Supposedly, she is the snake in the Garden of Eden. I could go on and on, but I will stop here.