Who Would Fight The Bigots?

Posted on by under education, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, religion, Social commentary

I generally steer clear of religious topics.  I am a non-religious person and I realize that I am in the minority here.  I respect my friends’ beliefs, their religious choices, but I do not share them for a number of reasons.  I am a realist who, since around the age of three, needs to see to believe.  That said, having been raised in a Jewish/Catholic household, I know a little about both religions, and having been married to a Protestant Christian for 15 years, I know a little about those beliefs as well.  That said, what I read yesterday caused my jaw to drop to the floor, though perhaps it shouldn’t have.

The Southern Baptist Convention on Tuesday ousted its second-largest congregation — Saddleback Church, the renowned California megachurch founded by pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren.  Why?  Because that church had the audacity to have a woman pastor!!!  Le GASP!!!!  Perish the thought!  Everyone knows that women belong in the kitchen cooking meals for their beloved husbands, else barefoot and pregnant, bringing more little ones onto a planet that can barely sustain those it already holds!

If you felt the earth move under your feet last night, it was likely Susan B. Anthony and other suffragettes rolling over in their graves!

The “Executive Committee” of the Southern Baptist Convention also voted to oust five other congregations — four over the issue of women as pastors and one over the issue of sexual abuse.

The grounds for this misogynistic decree putting women once again into a subservient role?  When Southern Baptists last updated their official statement of belief — The Baptist Faith and Message — in 2000, they added this clause: “While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

And then there’s this that I found on Diane Ravitch’ blog …

Pensacola Christian College canceled a six-man group of acapella singers because it had reason to believe that one of the singers was gay. The concert was cancelled two hours before it was scheduled to begin. An audience of more than 5,000 people was expected. The group had performed there in the past. Actually, the group acknowledged that two singers were gay. Why the College found it objectionable to hear a gay man (or two) singing in an ensemble is not clear. Did college officials worry that the sound of his voice might turn students gay? It seems likely that the bigoted Governor DeSantis has lowered the standards of civility across the state.

So much bigotry, so much hate … these are just two examples, but similar discriminatory practices are taking place everywhere we look – in our own government, in schools, businesses, restaurants.  Crimes against women, against the LGBTQ community, against Blacks, against Jews are in the news every single day.  Here are just a few headlines from the last day or two:

  • Nazis Harass Audience Outside Broadway Musical

  • “Jesus Is King” Woman Charged With Hate Crime Arson Of Manhattan Restaurant’s Rainbow Pride Flag

  • Shapiro Host: I’d Rather Die Than Have A Trans Child

Bigotry has become the mantra for the Republican Party and their rhetoric fuels the flames of the masses who seem incapable of thinking for themselves.  I’m disgusted by this nation.  Yes, there are good people here, just as there are everywhere, but they seem to be in the minority some days.

It is depressing to see a nation so divided by the very thing that should unify it: diversity.  It makes one want to pull the covers up over their head in the morning and refuse to face another day.   But then, if we all did that … who would fight the bigots?  Sigh.

24 thoughts on “Who Would Fight The Bigots?”

  1. I am a proud Christian, but I follow the tenets that Jesus taught, “Love thy neighbor as yourself” and “Let ye without sin, cast the first stone” I do not believe the bible written so many years ago was meant to be interpreted to suit your purposes. So sad.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Religious discrimination in this day and age just highlights how fruitless it is to try and have tolerant and safe communities. The morals of most atheists are far superior than most theists.

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    • I’ve posed that very idea many times … if a belief in a higher being is what makes people kind and compassionate, why do I know so many non-believers who are among the kindest people? In fact, every non-believer I know is a staunch supporter of equal rights for all, and I don’t know a single one who would condemn a person for their skin colour or gender identity. Sadly, I know a number of church-goers who are bigots in every sense of the word.

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    • I have a feeling religion won’t die until such time as the human species dies out, as it will if we don’t sit up and take notice of the changes in the environment and act on the science! People rely too heavily on their religious beliefs to keep them from feeling guilty, to confirm their ideas, and to give them hope that at the end of the day, somebody is in charge and there will be a better life after this one. To me, it holds as much veracity as Prince Charming and Cinderella, but … I think believers NEED to keep believing and no amount of questioning will change that. Oh yeah, the Nazi hate is coming, but it will only drive the religious people deeper into their beliefs, I think.

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  4. I have been an Atheist since I was a teenager, and have no interest in any religions. They are just used to instill fear, make money, and to allow people to enslave, control, and abuse others.
    Best wishes, Pete.

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    • I think I stopped believing in the fairy tales of god and heaven at around the age of 5. Nobody ever had any answers for my questions, so I decided it was all b.s. And yes, while I do know some devout Christians, Muslims, and Jews, and I respect their right to their beliefs, overall I think religion is the root cause for most of the problems in the world today. It is based on hypocrisy and greed and is used to manipulate people.

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  5. I‘m a Christian, I believe in God (or Goddess or whatever you want to call it, let‘s stay with ‚God‘), I believe in the GOOD and yet, I‘m the first one to admit that most wars have been begun on a basis of ‚a religion‘. But let‘s not forget, God also gave humans ‚their own free will‘ and it‘s not God or faith who begins wars, crimes, atrocities but ‚human beings‘ (i put that in apostrophes because many are not very human). I never attempt to change anybody‘s belief, I acknowledge their faith, but also I have had many, many fruitful, interesting, appealing discussions about religion, faith and think that‘s everybody‘s right, as long as it doesn‘t get into fanaticism. All fanaticism is bad. And me thinks it’s bad for every believer if bigotry or overzealous convictions enter the ‚game‘.

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    • Like you, I never try to change or criticize anybody’s personal beliefs, but the thing I do resent is when others try to force their views on me, as has happened often enough throughout my life. And when religion tries to force their views into governmental policy, then I have a real problem with it. Sigh. I think that these days religion is pretty much disassociated from its original intent and has more to do with wealth and power than we like to think.

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      • Sadly I have to agree with you on your views. BUT I still think that having the faith I have (and practice), has helped me more times in my life than I could ever have hoped for (or being afraid of). It made and makes me a better person, I’m far more understanding, less condescending and generally more relaxed thanks to my continued contemplation/discussion/reflection of my faith.

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        • And therein lies the value of belief or faith … that it helps people withstand the troubles that life throws at them, gives them a reason to keep on keeping on. Religion and faith are not the same thing … faith is what you feel in your heart, whereas religion is often a for-profit venture that attempts to manipulate. Not all, of course, but many.

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  6. I am a believer in God and also know that many world’s worst bigots and those who have caused the deaths of millions claimed to be very religious – they were not religious in any way except that they worshiped power,,, their power over others.

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    • Throughout history, many crimes against humanity have been committed in the name of religion. I think it was either Jim Bakker or Joel Osteen who once justified his position of wealth by saying that “God wants me to have nice things.” Says it all, doesn’t it? When I think of religion and church, the first word that comes to mind is ‘hypocrisy’. And that’s too bad, for they have so much opportunity to do good in this world, but instead blow it by promoting hatred and bigotry.

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        • Osteen, Bakker, and a few others are the worst of the worst, living high on the hog and claiming it’s “God’s plan” for them, while the people supporting them struggle to put food on the table, but still send them $20 a month or whatever amount. If they were actually good men, their conscience would not allow them to take people’s money for their own luxurious lifestyle!

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  8. i dare say the Saddleback church will survive being ousted. Perhaps it can even create a new Bapttist Convention along with the four other Ousted Churches which can encourage feale pastoral ministers. Maybe that will force others to see the error of their ways. I’d suggest the Restaurant which had it’s rainbow flag set fire too should put a sign in the window, No Bigots, Nazis, Homophobes or other Haters welcome here except it would only garner more violence for them.We just have to carrry on spreading the good words- Peace. equality and acceptance.
    Cwtch

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    • No doubt they will, and will probably laugh about it. It still galls me, though, for an organization that is tax-exempt, that feeds off of those who can barely afford to feed their families, and who has untold political power, to act as if women are stupid creatures good only for cleaning, cooking, and having babies … babies that the world does NOT need!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I like your vision, but we both know that no religion is likely to set aside bigotry and actually follow the tenets of that book they supposedly worship. No place better to find hypocrisy than in religion.

      I fully agree about your suggestion for the restaurant! Sigh. Is it just me, or does bigotry and the accompanying violence seem to be on the rise everywhere these days? I’m ready to write off the human species as a failed experiment.

      Cwtch

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  9. Jill, the Southern Baptist Convention needs to focus on improving its own standing following the scandal that was reported last summer. Per The Guardian article by Edward Helmore called “US Southern Baptist churches facing ‘apocalypse’ over sexual abuse scandal:”

    “The issue at hand is the release by the SBC of a 205-page document naming hundreds of Baptist leaders and members accused or found guilty of sexual abuse of children. The list, which includes 700 entries on cases between 2000 and 2019, was released after a bombshell third-party investigation by Guidepost Solutions said the convention’s leaders in its executive committee failed the public and its community by mishandling sexual abuse cases and mistreating victims and survivors.

    SBC leaders Rolland Slade and Willie McLaurin issued a statement saying the list “reminds us of the devastation and destruction brought about by sexual abuse. Our prayer is that the survivors of these heinous acts find hope and healing, and that churches will utilize this list proactively to protect and care for the most vulnerable among us.”

    The initial report was released after a seven-month investigation that revealed 380 leaders and volunteers in the SBC have faced public accusations of sexual abuse. It said that the SBC’s general counsel and spokesman had kept their own private list of abusive ministers and that leaders of SBC’s executive committee had focused for decades on trying to protect the SBC from liability for abuse in local churches.”

    As with the Catholic Church, the SBC needs to take care of its own knitting before casting stones, right or wrong, at others. This article greatly saddened me, as did the decades long failures of the Catholic Church to deal with its pedophile priest problem.

    Keith

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    • I had forgotten about that scandal … so much news that my leaky brain cannot remember it all. But you’re right … they’ve got no right to be critiquing anyone under the circumstances. It infuriates me, though, when women (or Blacks or LGBTQ or anybody) are considered to be somehow “lesser”, of lesser worth, lesser intellectual ability. I think that such bigotry should disable them from even calling themselves “Christian”, and certainly the sexual abuse of children whould disqualify them! My late mother-in-law used to frequently say, “Be sure your own house is clean before you go criticizing someone else’s house.” I think that is apt in this situation.

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