Sometimes it is nice to be reminded of what we as free thinkers are fighting.
Last May, 2007, the House of Representatives passed legislation that in part, would make it a hate crime to attack a man or woman because of sexual orientation. To quote a past leader of the CIA, this would seem like a “Slam Dunk”. After all, who would be afraid of a law designed to inhibit violence against gays or lesbians? Unfortunately this is not the case.
Apparently “Good Christians” are all afraid that it will inhibit their freedom of speech. The Big Bushie has promised to veto the bill once the Senate passes it.Now Christians are so quick to point out their religion is a religion of love. However history has shown that this has never been the case.
The history of Christianity is rife with examples of how the Church used fear of the “other” to raise vast sums of money for their coffers.
The Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades, the litany of violence against “others” goes on and on.
During WWII, the Catholic Church supported the extermination of the Jews by Germany. In fact, German soldiers belt buckles had the motto “Gott Mit Uns” or “God With Us” stamped on the metal face to remind them daily of their sacred mission. The German soldiers felt they were fighting for God. After all, they were going after the “killers of Christ.”
No small wonder the Pope was behind them. However, in all probability, the Vatican’s support for Hitler probably had more to do with the millions of dollars in stolen loot that the Nazi’s were storing in the Vatican Bank than the Church supporting the good fight. Lawsuits are still underway to recover this gold for the survivors of the Nazi holocaust.Of course the Vatican Bank is assiduously fighting to retain this gold. “Papa” has to pay off a lot of victims of pedophile priests.
During the first half of the 20th century, white Christian churches were promoting hatred of another “other” – blacks in this country.
The Ku Klux Klan was known to sing Christian hymns as they burned crosses, marched through black neighborhoods terrorizing the populations, or hung black men from trees.
Again, they were blessed by Christ, and on their mission for God to rid the United States of Blacks. Their bible and their pastors supported this. Recently the KKK literature has also picked up the new “other” from the Christian Churches, the homosexual.
One of the main arguments the far right and Christians use against laws like the hate crime bill is the usurpation of States Rights. However they forget their dedication to the States when they promote the Constitutional Amendment banning gays and lesbians from marriage. They do not trust the States with this since they have already seen some states promoting equal civil rights for all their citizens including Gays and Lesbians.
All civil rights enjoyed in the US, are based upon Federal law, not State law. This was true during the Civil Rights movement in the sixties and it is still true today.
If Blacks had waited for the State of Mississippi to pass legislation to provide for their voting rights, they would in all likelihood still not be voting today. Today’s Republicans know this very well. This is why they promote a State solution. Of course, eventually civil rights will win out. It always does.
One funny aspect of the civil rights movement is many of the most anti-civil rights Democrats changed parties over the issue.
Led by Strom Thurman and the Dixiecrats, overnight they became Republicans. Thus the party of Lincoln, that freed the slaves and began the march toward the civil rights movement, became the party of prejudice, hatred, and the KKK.
Ironically today, the Bushies have found traction for their anti-civil rights stance in a place few would have expected to find it, Black Churches. They, along with the Southern Baptist and the Catholic Church make up the largest majority of those who seek to stop the Hate Crimes bill. They fear that it may result in Churches and Pastors being held responsible for the hateful rhetoric they spew weekly from their pulpits.
Christianity is not about accepting responsibility, far from it. Should something bad happen, it’s just God’s will, not theirs. Christians are just “His” instrument. A conduit to be used as God sees fit.
If someone should take the pastors messages of hate to heart and actually injure or kill a homosexual – that is also not their fault. It is God’s punishment on the wicked. The Pastors and Churches are just preaching the “Word of God”. Of course secretly many are proud of their roll in teaching the “faggots” a lesson. Repent or Die. If you are not for us, you are against us.
Southern Baptists are taught from an early age they are at war with the Satan and his minions. Minions could be loosely defined as anyone not following the Christian principles as the Southern Baptists’ doctrine defines them. They are taught that homosexuals are godless, ergo the enemy. It definitely makes them a minion. It is just a small step to follow the logic to its conclusion. You as God’s soldier have the right, nay the duty to God to prosecute his enemies. You are good. They are bad. You are superior to – them.
The Hate Crimes bill has been named after Matthew Shepard. The young, nice looking college student was taken out to the country, robbed, severely beaten, then tied to a fence in a pose dramatically like that of a crucifixion. Here he was found, nearly dead by a passerby hours later. Matthew never regained consciousness. He died never knowing the love of that special someone to share his life with. He died with all the great-unfulfilled promises his life had yet to attain. No – his life was snuffed out by two young thugs who knew it was okay to beat up and rob faggots because the bible said so, and after all, they needed some beer money.
Just like a junkie seeking to regain his original high, Christians come to church seeking an emotional adrenaline crazed high.
A good pastor is skilled at manipulating the emotional gamut of his flock to give them their sought after experience. If he succeeds, they keep coming. Fill the pews, fill the offering plate. Screw civil rights, Pastor’s got his eye on a new Cadillac.
History and Histories 