Be a dissenting voice, yes! There’s clearly a need for… several jillion. But please be as careful with your terms as you want the big Religion Baddies to be!

Religion is offten misused. Sex is often misused. Both camps believe that the other one is totally fucking things up. Demonize, rinse, and repeat.

Which doesn’t really allow for any kind of change, no?

There’s a big difference between demonizing and imposing. I don’t think there’s much wrong with demonizing because it’s imposing that’s the only thing that is actually limiting other people’s choices. Demonizing is simply an expression of a belief that doesn’t actually harm anyone. Call me a sinner, call me a pervert, and I’ll respect your point of view until do things that cause me not to be able to do the things I want with other consenting adults. It’s when demonizing turns into actions that you start to get oppressive behavior and that’s where I think all the problems are.

So, really, who does it seem needs to be more careful with their terms?

Be a dissenting voice, yes! There’s clearly a need for… several jillion. But please be as careful with your terms as you want the big Religion Baddies to be!

Religion is offten misused. Sex is often misused. Both camps believe that the other one is totally fucking things up. Demonize, rinse, and repeat.

Which doesn’t really allow for any kind of change, no?

Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. And on that note I think a fund-raiser for dyslexic children is a good idea regardless of where it came from. However, one reason you’re not going to see that sort of thing come out of places like CV and the LGBT movements yet is because we’re too busy just trying to survive to put significant resources into causes that have indirect benefits to us like that. And why do you think we’re so busy just trying to survive? See above.

That said, I would love to find a way to use CV or any other community resource to help a good cause. It’s my chosen life’s goal.

You’re confusing “Left” with “people from NYC.” In fact, there is a large, established base of Democrats who are very conservative (socially speaking), just as there are various Republicans who party on every weekend.

Religion is kind of like kittens, puppies, apple pie, and Mom (with a capital M). The perceptions far outweigh the reality, for whatever reason, and you can’t fight against them. You can, however, use philosophical judo of a sort. For example, when non-religious groups organize public or community service programs, the general public then gets a better view about the kinds of people who belong to that group.

Interestingly, I frequently read about sexuality-based groups doing some kind of service, but they are usually raising money for AIDS victims or something that could be perceived as helping only other perverted sex fiends. As a thought experiment, what do you think that the public reaction would be if, say, CV held a yearly fund-raiser for dyslexic children?

I’m not saying you’re wrong -you’re not – but you’re very… binary?

The snarky version because I know you’re awesome enough that you can take it:

:) I am just the anti-Christ.

Seriously though, if religion was understood simply as a belief in a supernatural power, i.e., Barbara Carrellas and her “faboo” vibes from the universe, as opposed to an institutionalized system of various kinds of cultural and social power, i.e., the Religious Right in politics, the Church in morality, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

I also might still have my foreskin, but that’s another post entirely.

The less snarky version:

I don’t think there is much wrong with religion in much the same way I don’t think there’s much wrong with sex. Both things are expressions of parts of human nature. Religion is simply an attempt to provide meaning to the unknown, a very necessary part of dealing with life, and I have no grudge against that. Likewise, sex is simply an expression of dealing with physical desires, typically very well-known ones. What’s interesting is that some people think they can tell other people what’s more important, and when they do so under the guise of religion it’s they who have created the binary you’re talking about. Not to mention being hypocritical.

- Not all religions are anti-sex!

- Not all sex is anti-religion, c.f. Barbara Carallas and her “faboo” vibes from the universe. And sacred prostitution, which I learned about at Jewschool and thought it was the coolest thing ever.

I’m not saying you’re wrong -you’re not – but you’re very… binary?