Holy War (The religious crusade against gays)

The Southern Poverty Law Center's latest Intelligence Report, a print magazine, includes an excellent, hate-group-by-hate-group assessment of the religious right's anti-gay crusade. Even I didn't quite realize just how diabolical these people are. A shorter version of the article can be found here and I urge everyone, whether you're on the left or the right, to read it. If you don't trust the "liberal media", then just take a look at the slideshow entitled Watch Your Mouth, which presents direct quotes - with sources cited - from leading anti-gay crusaders.For example, Judge Roy Moore, the disgraced Alabama Supreme Court justice of Ten Commandments infamy, is quoted in the slideshow saying: "The State carries the power of the sword, that is, the power to prohibit [homosexual] conduct with physical penalties, such as confinement and even execution." And according to Jerry Falwell, gays are "brute beasts ... part of a vile and satanic system [that] will be utterly annihilated, and there will be a celebration in heaven."These and other religious leaders quoted in the article were once considered radicals. Today they're mainstream. This isn't just about gay marriage any more. This is about killing people in the name of God. {Added the "(The religious crusade against gays)" part to the topic title. - Adminnemooseus}This message has been edited by Adminnemooseus, 05-08-2005 10:56 PM

Are you sure it's mainstream? It sounds to me like normal people are a bit more sensible than the politicos.mick

mick writes me:

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Are you sure it's mainstream? It sounds to me like normal people are a bit more sensible than the politicos.

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Well, that was only my judgement, but I imagine that if you did a survey today and asked whether Jerry Falwell and Roy Moore were mainstream leaders you'd get better than a 50% 'yes' response to both. But that's just my opinion; I can't prove it.

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Keep America Safe AND Free!

I don't know.... I kind of think that even those Christian-right folks I hear so much about would think twice about executing somebody just for being gay. Maybe I'm just being naive or something... But it sounds more like conservative judges on a power trip.Mick

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I don't know.... I kind of think that even those Christian-right folks I hear so much about would think twice about executing somebody just for being gay. Maybe I'm just being naive or something... But it sounds more like conservative judges on a power trip.

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But they have stood by and even supported people who say that we should execute gay people.That is just the same as endorsing it, in my mind.

True enough.Personally I can't abide the idea of executing anybody, gay or straight.Mick

I personally think this is the main problem on the liberal side. Many people just cannot comprehend how evil the other side is and often ignore the signs that are right in front of them.Before the nazis took over germany, most people thought it couldn't be that bad. Even after the war, most people (germans) had no idea what the hell was going on. After Ike marched german civilians through the concentration camps, some reportedly committed suicide because they had no idea what they were supporting, even though they knew about the ghettos, the "cattle" trains, the hate messages, etc.I have no doubt in my mind that it is a real potential that myself and others like me are in danger of open victimization or perhaps worse. After all, they only smashed the windows of Jewish bussinesses, right? No big deal there.

well, okay, what do you want me to say?I'm a UK citizen who lives in Canada. I don't have much control over US domestic policy. When the US starts herding homosexuals onto cattle trains, I'd like to think I'd be amongst the first across the border armed with a molotov cocktail or two.I hereby pledge to take action against homophobia in my community. I'm going to read all the local newspapers and see if there's something I can get involved in.Mick

mick writes Troy:

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well, okay, what do you want me to say?

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I can't speak for Troy, but for my part you just said it. Thank you.

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Keep America Safe AND Free!

Great!All I had to do to win your respect was threaten to blow up a train with a molotov cocktail!(only joking, but I'm serious about the rest and will keep you updated)Mick

Well, my post was more targeted at the general population and not at any one individual like yourself.You'd be amazed to how many liberals and gay rights advocates don't know that only in the 90's did we got rid of anti-sodomy laws. You'd be amazed how many people never heard of Matthew Shepard. You'd be amazed how many people didn't know that only a tiny portion of the gay population are pedophiles (in fact, there are more straight pedophiles than there are gay ones). You'd be amazed how many people don't know that gay people have dreams and goals, too. You'd be amazed how many people don't know that not all of us like to act fruity all the time and wear tight leather clothing and hang out in gay bars all the time.In fact, I know some gay rights activists who, until they met me, had no idea that you can't always tell whether a person was gay or not just based on looks. Obviously, I stunt them by identifying myself as a homo. To them, they disagreed with the gay lifestyle (whatever the hell it is) but thought people shouldn't be persecuted by how they live.Anyway, I don't even know what the hell my point is anymore.Anyhow, I love you all.Peace!

Troy writes:

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You'd be amazed to how many liberals and gay rights advocates don't know that only in the 90's did we got rid of anti-sodomy laws.

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I'm a gay rights advocate and I didn't realize that. I thought we only got rid of anti-sodomy laws much more recently, when the Supreme Court ruled in Lawrence vs. Texas.I suspect that was a typo on your part.

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Keep America Safe AND Free!

I was thinking about the arrest and the original trial that led to the statute, which started in the late 90's.Added by edit.But isn't it scary that it took them that long to rule that what the state have absolutely nothing to do with what people do in their own bedrooms?I think it is also scary that the loudest gay bashers are the ones that grew up being oppressed by racist and segregatory laws.This message has been edited by Troy, 05-09-2005 01:40 AM

However long it took them to discard the sodomy laws I'm just glad they did it.I remember a case from (I think) Georgia back in the 1980s that dealt with oral sodomy. I can't remember the details (maybe someone else does?), but I DO remember that there was a protest related to it that was covered on CNN. Someone had been arrested for violating that law, and in response dozens of people went to the courthouse (or perhaps it was a police precinct) pretending to be beside themselves with guilt and insisting on turning themselves in for having engaged in oral sex. If I remember correctly, the charges against the poor slob who had been arrested were dropped as a consequence.

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Keep America Safe AND Free!

Really? As I remember it, the court found him guilty. The 2003 statute overturned that decision. I could be wrong, though.