I’m so sick and tired of the right wing Christians hating us. Is this really the Christian thing to do? Didn’t Christ hang out with the tax collectors and prostitutes? I don’t recall Christ ever saying hateful things like this.

Wow, Chris and Doug, I think you guys have hit the nail on the head there. I’m 21, and it is nice to know that some people at least, from the 60’s generation still hold utopian ideals and haven’t sold out to the new ideals of consumerism. However, its often noted that people communicate more now than ever before, thanks to technology. The tragedy is that this has lead to a decline in the traditional art of conversing, and because it is so easy to communicate through different mediums, the value of what is conveyed has deteriorated. People don’t discuss ‘big’ issues because they are incompatible with the ’sound-byte’ format. It is also alarming just how easily even the most revered institutions and individuals can be corrupted by corporations in the pursuit of objectives that always oppose the interests of wider society. I wish I had your optimism that things are improving, however slowly.

that pastor needs to read http://www.godmademegay.com

he might become enlightened

Wow, I never expected such a great response from you Chris. We sure do have quite a job to do, right? I feel exactly as you do, only you’ve stated it far better than I did. Sound bytes is a perfect word to get what is happening inthe real world to the youth out there. Aword they’re familiar with. I am from a small town near Xenia and it was an idealic place to grow up. This was in the early 60’s and a kid could be a kid with little worries about something bad happening to you. As the world gets more high tech and becomes so expensive that it leaves out most people able to afford it, what will be the point in trying to correct societies concerns then? I’ve trieed to be more tolerant of all this change but it seems no one wants to do anything but bitch and complain all the time. I am glad people are talking about politics again but my god the hate and vicious remarks in these blogs are too much. Seems everyone has their own personmal agenda and nothuing elswe matters to them. We’ve covered the gammut of everything under the sun it seems and still we continue to read more. I for one only hope and pray we can do more to help. We certainly do not need any more repub. totalitarianism. You were right, money is power and that ism all they re4present. Good to hear from you or anyone else out there. [Peace p.s. I’m learning to type so have pity. ha Love, Doug

Doug – you are certainly right. The younger generation doesn’t realize that their disadvantage is two fold. There is the naivety of youth (which in the real world translates to ignorance – and I don’t mean that in a bad way, the word “ignorance” is defined merely as a “lack of knowledge”). They have no idea of how their life has, for the most part, been carefully mapped out for them. They will be good consumers by and large. By and large they will make someone ELSE rich. They most certainly will NOT be encouraged to think for themselves or to challenge the status quo. Add to this the mixed blessing of modern technology which has given some convenience to society but which has robbed them of some very precious social skills as well. It was bad enough growing up with TV – but they grew up with TV, video games, cell phones, text messaging, online chat rooms and porn sites etc. All variations on contact – but not actual live person-to-person contact. That is where you learn to socialize. As a result, so many (though by no means all) are very socially constipated. They have great passion as all young people do, but their real knowledge of the issues rarely goes past media sound-bytes and their conversational skills are more often that not simply awkward. It’ss as if they are so used to NOT interacting in person that when they ARE in a real social situation they are unsure of themselves. The conversations they have with each other usually range between superficial and nasty. So when I read stories about teen depression and suicide rates etc., I can’t help but really feel for them. This is the world they inherited and they are trying to make the best of it they can. WE, who have lived enough, know how much control the RICH truly have. It’s redundant to say “powerful”, money IS power. They want a better world and I want to help them create it, I want it for myself too. They don’t know how truly corrupt many of our most “cherished” institutions really are. Our political system is shockingly corrupt. Our organized religions are very corrupt (they want power and money as well – just under the guise of wanting to do the “will of God” – translation: THEIR WILL) and they, like every major corporation, do NOT want you to think for yourself. Just think the way I want you to think. Feel the way I want you to feel. Do what I want. Just give me your money, do as I say, shut up and sit down and know your place. The precious few that are able to break out of that mold to some extent are almost hero like – and we most definitely have a shortage or real heroes in this world today. In my own small way, I encourage them to challenge, to provoke, to truly be themselves – only then will they be able to retain enough of their own personal power. Only when they are sufficiently self-enpowered and informed, will theybe able to affect any real change – to do any real good. I am encouraged by the many “quiet heroes” out there who make the simplest and yet most profound statement about our community – they are open and honest about their lives and try to be the best people they can be. That alone will is enough to change the world. We are getting there, slowly – I just want to make sure that we lose as few of these precious young people along the way as possible.

Hi Doug – I read most of the articles and reply frequently enough. Of course, I don’t personally pay much attention to this kind of stuff – I pity the poor, sick individual who makes/believes these kinds of things. So completely brainwashed into their myths they can’t see the forest from the tress. My concern is pretty much always for the young GLBT people who have to deal with this and may not be able to see it for the sick, evil crap that it really is. I lived for a year in Columbus, OH myself. Many of the people were very nice, but I was living near OSU and major college towns tend to be more liberal and not necessarily reflective of the state as whole as is the case here. NY is the same. NYC is very liberal. NY State is decidedly not.

…every time I see something as repulsive as this I want to buy land across the street and open an LGBT center. Every time a group is so stupid to betray their own faith by focusing on hate I want to expose them over and over again to our faces until they see we are all the same. Our blood is all red, our legs walk the same way, and our love is real.

This only proves that brainwashing people since birth into millenia old mythologies makes for some very sick people.