tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003200974688946575.post4931338802184781708..comments2023-09-02T04:30:46.604-07:00Comments on Musings of an intrigued nobody: If the cap fits, Rowan Williams...SoggyMoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12357790920813258281noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003200974688946575.post-20780296043345439022013-11-07T12:25:23.309-08:002013-11-07T12:25:23.309-08:00It is a much different thing to say "The Chur...It is a much different thing to say "The Church of England is both homophobic and misogynistic" versus saying "Christianity is both homophobic and misogynistic". There have been pretty good arguments made that the teachings of Jesus on which Christianity is based were neither homophobic nor misogynistic, and in fact explicitly the opposite.<br /><br />Though many modern "Christian" groups have gotten it wrong, statements like these should be evaluated against the teachings of Christ, not what any particular church (modern or otherwise) fails at. History has proven time and time again that churches and religious communities fail in countless ways from misogyny and homophobia to mass murder and slavery.Josiahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07918155169601740285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003200974688946575.post-13504959006871344902013-10-17T06:11:43.202-07:002013-10-17T06:11:43.202-07:00Rowan Williams portrays the blinkered opinion of m...Rowan Williams portrays the blinkered opinion of mild Christians that what they do in your face is not petty harassment. <br /><br />An atheist relative died recently and it seems not to be the least bit embarrassing for the religious to break out into a discussion about who he's 'up there' with, or say something like "He's at peace at last.", as if there is anything of him to contemplate his new peaceful state as a pile of ashes coming out of a crematorium.<br /><br />And when they look to you for agreement and you tell them you don't believe any of that stuff, you are harassed either with mere bad looks, contempt, or even verbally abused, as if you have offended not only the believers present but also the dearly departed, who is unlikely to appreciate your disregard for him.<br /><br />While simply stating one's own contrary beliefs, particularly in response to direct or indirect questioning, or an appeal to agreement of spoken religious sentiments, does not constitute harassment, the offended response is as if harassment, or even persecution, of the religious is implied by one's simple unbelief.<br /><br />Of course, as a result of this, I do occasionally harass the more vocally imposing religious people I meet, if only with the same or slightly more force than they employ; and I suffer no shame in taking small pleasure in that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com