Clay Farris Naff: Old Time Religion Fuels America's Climate of Hate HPFB.init();


HuffPost's QuickRead...ShareBox.ad = function (tag_id){if ($(tag_id) == undefined) return; if ($(tag_id).innerHTML != '') return;ad_spec = {"zone_info": "huffpost.crime","ord": 1344477347,"tile": 3,"width": 300,"height": 250,"el_id": tag_id + "_js","class_name": "ad_block ad_wide top","type": "iframe"}HuffPoUtil.WEDGJE.write(ad_spec, tag_id);};Loading... HuffPost's QuickRead...

Loading...

NewsSikh Temple ShootingCaught On TapeMissing Persons More Log in Create Account Notifications Profile Settings Logout #topnav_margin_btm { margin:0 !important } August 8, 2012

The Internet Newspaper: News, Blogs, Video, Community Edition:
U.S. CA Canada Québec FR France ES Spain US United States UK United Kingdom FRONT PAGEPolitics LOOK: Father's Shocking Letter Disowning Gay Son Goes Viral 10kWATCH: Hillary Clinton Dances In South Africa1kBain's Blood Money: Mitt Romney Started Bain Capital With Funds From Families Tied To Death Squads21kRomney: Reid 'Lost A Lot Of Credibility'31kRomney Spox Andrea Saul Gets Pilloried For Mentioning Candidate's Most Important Achievement7k Go to Politics
More in PoliticsPollster2012 BlogSpeculatronOff The BusElection Dashboard
You might also likeWorldGreenTechBusiness Pizza Delivery Chain Raising Prices Because Of Obamacare26kGay Marriage Debate Pulling In Big Money From These Famous CEOs103And The Fastest Growing City Is...89Koch Brothers Fire Back At Zach Galifianakis?2k'You F*cking Americans. Who Are You To Tell Us, The Rest Of The World That We're Not Going To Deal With Iranians?'1k Go to Business
More in BusinessSmall BusinessMoney
You might also likeWorldTechMediaCultureSportsWeird NewsCrimeEntertainment Hope Springs: Meryl Streep And Tommy Lee Jones Talk Sex And Marriage In Their New Film103Bestselling Author Says Matt Bomer Is Too Gay For 'Fifty Shades' Role 437OMG! The First Time Someone Used The Phrase 'OMG'!1527 Things 'Arrested Development' Should Revive35'Breaking Bad' Creator Vince Gilligan On Sin, Morality & Consequence18 Go to Entertainment
More in EntertainmentCelebrityTV
You might also likeComedyArtsBooksCultureStyleWeird NewsMoviefoneTV WATCH: The Funniest 'SNL' Crack-Ups197Who Makes The Most Money On TV?52Khloe Kardashian Is In The Running To Host ...350WATCH: Kyle Richards Talks Mauricio's On-Screen Partial Nudity23PHOTOS: Patricia Field Paid $5 For Carrie Bradshaw's Tutu37 Go to TV
More in TVTV ReplayTV RecapsTV SpoilersMaureen RyanReality-FreeMaggie Furlong
You might also likeCelebrityMediaComedyEntertainmentWeird News Mom Left 3 Kids At Home To Have Sex With Neighbor: Cops2kPHOTO: Kim Kardashian Tries A Bondage-Inspired Bikini591S'NOT FUNNY: Kid Had Lego Piece Stuck In His Nose For 3 Years472The Breast Video Of Skywalking You'll See All Day80HOLY MOLE! Senior Finds Jesus On His Taco515 Go to Weird News
More in Weird NewsDumb CrimeUFOWorld RecordsAnatomical WondersZombie ApocalypseOctomom
You might also likeComedyTechScienceCrimeSports Another Gold For Aly1kAmericans Win Third Straight Beach Volleyball Gold340WATCH: Diver's Embarrassing Flop Dubbed The Worst Olympic Dive356Meet Germany's 'Hulk'159High Drama On The Balance Beam610 Go to Sports
More in SportsLondon 2012Olympics Event ScheduleMedal Map
You might also likeTVFoodTechComedyWeird NewsCrimeTech How To Shop Amazon Like A Pro50821 YEARS LATER: World's First Website Still Online385He Works At NASA?992Teen Collapses After 4-Day Xbox Marathon373Did NASA Use Instagram On This Mars Photo?31 Go to Tech
More in TechBest of TEDSocial Media
You might also likeSmall BusinessGreenScienceNew YorkSan FranciscoTechCrunchEngadgetJoystiqScience First Color Photo From Curiosity Rover1kNew Flat-Faced Human Species Possibly Discovered1kWATCH: Rover's Perilous Descent Seen In New NASA Video35JUST IN: Rover's First Higher-Res Image Raises Scientific Question2kLOOK: Amazing Mars Rover Photos1k Go to Science
More in ScienceSpaceBrainEarthTalk Nerdy To MeWeird Science
You might also likeTechGreenArtsReligionWeird NewsWorld 'No One Will Take My Inner Freedom'1kPHOTOS: 2012 London Olympics Day 11LOOK: Fox Sports Makes HUGE Gaffe4kUnderground Sect Kept Children In Dark, Unheated Cells For More Than A Decade271Rare Snowfall Stuns South Africa197 Go to World
More in WorldForeign AffairsWorld ElectionsArab UprisingAfghanistan WarSyria Crisis
You might also likeTravelPoliticsBusinessTechReligionALL SECTIONS
NewsPoliticsWorldBusinessSmall BusinessMoneyMediaSportsEducationCrimeWeird NewsGood News
EntertainmentEntertainmentCelebrityCultureComedyArtsBooksTVMoviefone
Life & StyleHealthy LivingGPS for the SoulStyleFoodKitchen DailyWeddingsTravelParentsDivorceHuff/Post 50StylelistStylelist Home
Tech & ScienceTechScienceGreenTechCrunchEngadgetTUAWJoystiq
VoicesWomenBlack VoicesLatino VoicesVoces (en español)Gay VoicesReligionCollegeTeenImpact
LocalChicagoDCDenverDetroitMiamiNew YorkLos AngelesSan FranciscoPatch.comMapquest
AOL Daily FinanceAol JobsAol AutosAutoblogAol MusicAol VideoGames.comHeidi KlumAol ShoppingReal EstateCrimeJames HolmesTrayvon MartinLuka MagnottaJoran van der SlootBath SaltsMissing PeopleMug ShotsDeath PenaltyBizarre WeaponsQuizzes Just In: Mixed Verdict For 3 Cops Charged With Beating Teen Get Breaking News by Email

Featuring fresh takes and real-time analysis from HuffPost's signature lineup of contributorsHot on the BlogDerek ShearerSandra FlukeGov. Jennifer M. GranholmRev. Al Sharpton HuffPost Social Reading

Some error occurred Login with Facebook to see what your friends are reading Enable Social Reading i

Settings Read Share Settings Share everything I read Share only things safe for work Dont share what I'm reading Read Share History Learn More

Clay Farris NaffScience and religion writer, journalist, author GET UPDATES FROM Clay Farris Naff Like 256 Old Time Religion Fuels America's Climate of HatePosted: 08/07/2012 6:20 pm React

Important
Funny
Typical
Scary
Outrageous
Amazing
Innovative
Finally
Follow

Climate Change, Christianity, Religious Tolerance, Video, Sikh Temple Shooting, Hate, Pat Robertson, Religion, Wade Page, Crime News
#news_entries #ad_sharebox_260x60 img {padding:0px;margin:0px} share this story Submit this storydiggredditstumble
Hate is much like climate: just as a single weather event implies nothing about global warming, no one has any business generalizing from a terrible incident like the massacre in a Sikh temple in Wisconsin. The humane thing to do is to send our sympathy, help and, if you are so inclined, prayers to the victims and their families.
That didn't stop televangelist Pat Robertson from taking advantage of the moment to blame atheists for the slaughter.
But here's the thing: All we know for sure about the alleged killer, Wade Page, is that he is a tattoo-certified neo-Nazi loser. So, until we know more, here are my last words on the temple shooting: My heart goes out to the victims and their loved ones, the police officers who nearly lost a brave brother, and to Sikhs all over America.
Now, let us move on to climate change: Just as the average temperature has been going up over the last decade, so religiously motivated hate crimes are on the rise. I reviewed the FBI's hate crime statistics for the years 2004-2010 (the latest year available), and found that religion as the explicit motive for hate has jumped by nearly a quarter from 16.4 percent to 20 percent of all hate crimes.
To learn that religion now fuels one-in-five hate crimes should raise concerns. But there's more: hate crimes against gays, lesbians and other sexual minorities have risen even faster. Together, the two categories come to about 40 percent of all reported hate crimes. Is there a connection?
Well, duh, you may say. Still, it's best to nail these things down, and fortunately, psychologist Kelly Trevino and colleagues have done just that in a journal article published in April. Anti-gay bias, they found, is directly linked to the feeling that Christian values are desecrated by tolerance of homosexuality. The more that people imbibe messages telling them that Christian values are under threat, the stronger their anti-gay bias becomes.
But does that really translate into hate? You betcha. Here's Pastor Charles Worley of the Providence Road Baptist Church to tell ya how we oughta put all the gay men in one concentration camp and the lesbians in another and then just wait for them to die.
Now, hate and hate crimes are two different things. The first may be despicable but it remains protected free speech. A hate crime adds to mix assault, rape, murder, arson or other hideous acts that you'd think God-fearing people would oppose. But rightwing Christian groups locked arms in opposition to a federal hate crimes bill, delaying its passage for a dozen years.
Why would churchgoers battle a bill aimed at deterring vicious crimes like the torture-murders of Matthew Shepard and James Byrd? Well, in part it's because they are fed on a steady diet of fearmongering lies from the rightwing media. "What you say from the pulpit could literally become illegal," the Family Research Council wrote to conservative pastors to rally their opposition to the hate crimes act.
They must know that, thanks to the First Amendment and the Supreme Court, short of falsely shouting "fire" in a crowded church nothing anyone says from the pulpit can be criminalized. Yet, fear overwhelms reason. And that brings us full circle.
Hate has deep roots in human nature. Evolutionary psychology is just beginning to trace its filaments back to our ancestral environment, when people lived in small, migratory bands. On meeting strangers, to flee or attack were often the only safe choices. Fear and hate are the emotions that activate those responses. Little wonder, then, that fear and hatred of "the Other" became common features of humanity.
For millennia, religion served to enforce harmony within groups but did nothing to stifle war, genocide or the exploitation of other peoples. (You can read all about it in Deuteronomy!) The wonder is that societies and religions co-evolved a better way: in just the last few centuries we have developed government based on the consent of the governed, institutions based on the principle of fairness, and religions based on universal compassion, equality and progress.
That drives reactionary religionists mad. Whether Christian, Muslim, Hindu or Jew, the adherents of Old Time Religion fear that an erosion of authority -- God's authority! -- will bring punishment, humiliation and ruin upon their community -- just as, say, 10,000 years ago, letting down your guard might have let a marauding band enter the encampment to kill the men and carry off the women and children. You can only run for so long. When there's nowhere to flee, fear turns to hate.
Today, there is nowhere to run. We're all mixed together in one world. Those of us who are proud to call ourselves liberal, progressive and compassionate -- we also harbor the instinct to hate. I watch Pastor Worley strutting about or look at the crazed eyes of Wade Page, James Holmes or Jared Loughner, and I can feel rage course through my veins. "Killing's too good for them," my instinct screams. But that's no answer. It just takes us back to the primeval days, when the threat of vengeance was the only way to ensure that you and yours would be feared enough to avoid enslavement or slaughter.
Fortunately, we can rise above our instincts. We can take to heart the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: "Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." It begins with understanding.
This Blogger's Books from
Free God Now!by Clay Farris Naff
Conflict in the Middle East (Compact Research Series)by Clay Farris Naff
Follow Clay Farris Naff on Twitter:www.twitter.com/claynaff
FOLLOW CRIME Like 37k Get Alerts #ad_bottom_article_text {margin-bottom: 15px} Religious ToleranceVideoSikh Temple ShootingChristianity
Related News On Huffington Post: Sikh Temple Shooting Victims Described By Families And Friends Wade Michael Page Identified As Sikh Temple Shooting Suspect (LIVE UPDATES) Temple Shooting Spreads Fear Among U.S. Sikh Population
Sikh Temple Shooting Victims Described By Families And Friends
MILWAUKEE — A religious leader willing to do anything for his beloved, tight-knit Sikh community. A former farmer who left his fields in rural northern...
Wade Michael Page Identified As Sikh Temple Shooting Suspect (LIVE UPDATES)
The suspect in the Sikh temple shooting who killed six in Wisconsin on Sunday has been identified as 40-year-old Wade Michael Page. Authorities told CBS...
Temple Shooting Spreads Fear Among U.S. Sikh Population
NEW YORK -- The killing of six worshippers at a Sikh temple in suburban Milwaukee brought fresh worries Sunday to the half million U.S. followers...
Read more from Huffington Post bloggers: Democracy Now! Democracy Now!: Sikh Temple Shooter's Time in White-Supremacist Underworld Imam Khalid Latif Imam Khalid Latif: Ramadan Reflection Day 18: Honoring The Victims Of Wisconsin Sikh Temple Shooting Avanti Kumar-Singh Avanti Kumar-Singh: Albert Einstein, Marianne Williamson and the Sikh Temple Shooting in Wisconsin
Democracy Now!: Sikh Temple Shooter's Time in White-Supremacist Underworld
More details have come to light about the man who shot dead six worshippers and critically wounded three others at the Oak Creek Sikh temple in Wisconsin before he was killed by police.
Imam Khalid Latif: Ramadan Reflection Day 18: Honoring The Victims Of Wisconsin Sikh Temple Shooting
Continue to visit your house of worship and practice your faith as you are entitled to do so. Do not let those who are bigoted, racist and hateful dictate how you live your life.
Avanti Kumar-Singh: Albert Einstein, Marianne Williamson and the Sikh Temple Shooting in Wisconsin
Albert Einstein once said "the most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile Universe." Today it probably seems that we live in a hostile Universe, where fear is the basis of most human interaction.
More in Crime...

Misty Cook, Sikh Temple Shooter's Ex Girlfriend,...

Wade Page Died Of Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound...

Max Shacknai, Son Of Millionaire Jonah Shacknai,...

Jonathan Schmidt Shooting: Video Of Jerry Lard...

Comments25Pending Comments2 View FAQ

Previewing Your Comment. This comment has not yet been posted You have exceeded your word limit by words. Please click the "Edit" button and shorten your comment.
Post Comment Edit Cancel
You can post to us this information Contact us

Click here to leave a comment.HuffPost High School welcomes a lively, thoughtful debate in the comment section. Keep in mind that the articles here are penned by young authors, so please keep criticism respectful, and help us to keep this a safe and supportive place for writers of all ages to contribute.Post CommentPreview Comment To reply to a Comment: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to. Post Comment Preview Comment To reply to a Comment: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to.
Share your Comment:
Post to Facebook. Post to Blogger. Post to Twitter. Post to WordPress. Post to TypePad. Post to Tumblr. Post to Yahoo! Blogger login: Blogger password: Select blog: refresh list Remember me: Wordpress host: Wordpress login: Wordpress password: Remember me: TypePad host: TypePad login: TypePad password: Select blog: refresh list Remember me: Tumblr login: Tumblr password: Remember me: Community Notice: We've made some changes to our badge program, including the addition
of our newest badge: Community Curator.

View AllFavorites Recency | Popularity

HUFFPOST SUPER USERNichole FrancoisMy micro bio!17 Fans 4 hours ago ( 3:46 PM)The fact of the matter is that so-called Christians ARE NOT Christians at all. In our society today someone that goes to church regularly passes for a Christian. That is not being a Christian. It is being religious. The two are as different as oranges and onions. A true Christian loves his brothers and sisters regardless of their sexuality, race, nationality, weight, monetary value etc.
Someone of a religious nature will use that church attendance to claim their superiority over virtually everyone that makes them feel threatened.
At the top of the list for the religious with homosexual leanings are gays and lesbians.
The religious fanatic with all those hours in the pew, unfortunatley in that rotted mind make him superior. Add in his suppressed desire to be with another man and the sermons demonizing such desires and you get an explosive hate cocktail. He's justified in his own mind, after all a preacher has sanctioned his vile hatred.
Hate is hate and Pat Robertson is perpetuating hate as much as any man alive. His finger pointing at atheists is ridiculous. They are actually the least guilty in a religious based mass shooting. Atheists could care less what someone does in a church because they view it as magical thinking. But a man that clings to religion will kill someone of another faith because "they" are worshiping false idols.Nichole_Francois: The fact of the matter is that so-called Christians AREhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Nichole_Francois/old-time-religion-fuels-americas-climate-of-hate_b_1750991_175539523.htmlHistory |Permalink |Share itThis comment has been down-ranked into oblivion. View comment You have not right to carry out this operation or Error this operation.

Loading comments…

HUFFPOST SUPER USERmntnman692 days older than dirt159 Fans 11 hours ago ( 9:08 AM)Organized religion / downfall of humanity.mntnman69: Organized religion / downfall of humanity.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/mntnman69/old-time-religion-fuels-americas-climate-of-hate_b_1750991_175414663.htmlHistory |Permalink |Share itThis comment has been down-ranked into oblivion. View comment You have not right to carry out this operation or Error this operation.

Loading comments… This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program Ed Pearlstein6 Fans 21 hours ago (11:28 PM)There are also some large-scale horrors to which religion contributed: wars, pogroms, crusades, jihads, persecutions, inquisitions, witch hunts. We have seen these things in old history and some continue today.
Here are just a few of the many examples we have had in very recent times: In the countries of former Yugoslavia, there were Catholic Croats, Orthodox Christian Serbs, and Muslims all at each other. In Lebanon, it was Christian Arabs (supported by Israel) versus Muslim Arabs in a terrible civil war. In India, it is Sikhs and Hindus fighting over a holy place.
Almost every modern religion has at times been the perpetrator and at other times the victim of such evils.Ed_Pearlstein: There are also some large-scale horrors to which religion contributed:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Ed_Pearlstein/old-time-religion-fuels-americas-climate-of-hate_b_1750991_175339705.htmlHistory |Permalink |Share it pl122433 Fans 18 hours ago ( 2:01 AM)Amen and well said, Ed. It seems to me that over the passage of millenia, religions do learn to correct the absolutist error of their ways as they evolve from primitive,defensive, isolated entities into more sophisticated, secure co-existence with other systems of religious belief.
But every significant religious population seems to harbor a small, fundamentalist, aggressively dogmatic and exclusivist cadre of believers. People who are convinced that they are right and anyone who disagrees with them is not only wrong, but, in all likelihood, damned for eternity. I have come to the conclusion that these people are insecure, terrified of a changing world that they are not emotionally or intellectually equipped to understand, and are desperate for answers that are simple and certain. I find this very sad.
Sadder still is the fact that, rather than being the instruments of an omnipotent God as they claim, these people, by their words and actions, reduce God to a functionary who does their bidding and effects their revenge on anyone they deem to be godless--for instance, gays and lesbians. God becomes the justification for prejudice and hatred, not the Divine Source of the love for each other that He has commanded us to manifest in all aspects of our lives.
I suppose, apart from trying to understand and be compassionate, all we really can do is pray for them.pl1224: Amen and well said, Ed. It seems to me thathttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/pl1224/old-time-religion-fuels-americas-climate-of-hate_b_1750991_175369513.htmlHistory |Permalink |Share itThis comment has been down-ranked into oblivion. View comment You have not right to carry out this operation or Error this operation.

Loading comments…This comment has been down-ranked into oblivion. View comment You have not right to carry out this operation or Error this operation.

Loading comments… RebelRyder11 Fans 23 hours ago ( 8:45 PM)So now global warmng causes hate crimes too?
Why not it causes everything else.
http://www.numberwatch.co.uk/warmlist.htmRebelRyder: So now global warmng causes hate crimes too? Why nothttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/RebelRyder/old-time-religion-fuels-americas-climate-of-hate_b_1750991_175296253.htmlHistory |Permalink |Share it ubrew12that crazy uncle from Amarcord913 Fans 17 hours ago ( 3:14 AM)He made no such linkage.
You, on the other hand, make such a linkage with every post.ubrew12: He made no such linkage. You, on the other hand,http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/ubrew12/old-time-religion-fuels-americas-climate-of-hate_b_1750991_175377098.htmlHistory |Permalink |Share it RebelRyder11 Fans 8 hours ago (11:38 AM)From the article: "Just as the average temperature has been going up over the last decade, so religiously motivated hate crimes are on the rise."RebelRyder: From the article: "Just as the average temperature has beenhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/RebelRyder/old-time-religion-fuels-americas-climate-of-hate_b_1750991_175457670.htmlHistory |Permalink |Share itThis comment has been down-ranked into oblivion. View comment You have not right to carry out this operation or Error this operation. There are More Comments on this Thread. Click Here To See them All

Loading comments…This comment has been down-ranked into oblivion. View comment You have not right to carry out this operation or Error this operation.

Loading comments…This comment has been down-ranked into oblivion. View comment You have not right to carry out this operation or Error this operation.

Loading comments…

Varys274 Fans 24 hours ago ( 8:04 PM)The killer was definitely an atheist, because people who believe in God cannot commit murder.Varys: The killer was definitely an atheist, because people who believehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Varys/old-time-religion-fuels-americas-climate-of-hate_b_1750991_175284619.htmlHistory |Permalink |Share it

HUFFPOST SUPER USERDoc Marten20 Fans 24 hours ago ( 8:10 PM)That's not true. Christians commit murder ALL THE TIME.Doc_Marten: That's not true. Christians commit murder ALL THE TIME.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Doc_Marten/old-time-religion-fuels-americas-climate-of-hate_b_1750991_175286160.htmlHistory |Permalink |Share it

Varys274 Fans 23 hours ago ( 9:08 PM)Wrong, if they commit murder, they were never Christians. Fact.Varys: Wrong, if they commit murder, they were never Christians. Fact.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Varys/old-time-religion-fuels-americas-climate-of-hate_b_1750991_175302328.htmlHistory |Permalink |Share itThis comment has been down-ranked into oblivion. View comment You have not right to carry out this operation or Error this operation. There are More Comments on this Thread. Click Here To See them All

Loading comments…This comment has been down-ranked into oblivion. View comment You have not right to carry out this operation or Error this operation.

Loading comments… iridium53Semper Fi1781 Fans 18 hours ago ( 2:07 AM)Crusades
Inquisition
Reformation
blah, blah, blahiridium53: Crusades Inquisition Reformation blah, blah, blahhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/iridium53/old-time-religion-fuels-americas-climate-of-hate_b_1750991_175370273.htmlHistory |Permalink |Share itThis comment has been down-ranked into oblivion. View comment You have not right to carry out this operation or Error this operation. There are More Comments on this Thread. Click Here To See them All

Loading comments…

Loading comments…This comment has been down-ranked into oblivion. View comment You have not right to carry out this operation or Error this operation.

Loading comments… LogicGuru14 Fans 07:56 PM on 08/07/2012Guess what: Dr. Martin Luther King quoted in the last paragraph was a religious person. I'm sick of getting trashed because I'm a religious believer, sick of the endless, anti-religious rant on blogs like this. Sick of secular elitists trashing Christianity, looking down on Christians and branding us as "haters" and bigots.LogicGuru: Guess what: Dr. Martin Luther King quoted in the lasthttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/LogicGuru/old-time-religion-fuels-americas-climate-of-hate_b_1750991_175282202.htmlHistory |Permalink |Share it

f0rTyLeGzEverything is falling.890 Fans 23 hours ago ( 9:08 PM)Then Christians, like Pat Robertson, and Charles Worley, should stop preaching hate from the pulpit.
And Christians should get off the meme that if you don't believe like I do, then YOU are going to Hell.f0rTyLeGz: Then Christians, like Pat Robertson, and Charles Worley, should stophttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/f0rTyLeGz/old-time-religion-fuels-americas-climate-of-hate_b_1750991_175302348.htmlHistory |Permalink |Share itThis comment has been down-ranked into oblivion. View comment You have not right to carry out this operation or Error this operation.

Loading comments… pssdovNo act of kindness goes unnoticed211 Fans 23 hours ago ( 9:27 PM)Chill. It's the fundamentalists in all religions that are the haters and bigots. Mainstream believers are, in general, normal and well adjusted people. I'm an atheist, but I've seen the power of faith. For those that have it, it's mighty. It's just not for me. Turn the other cheek, and do some small thing to make someone smile, today, now. You'll feel better.pssdov: Chill. It's the fundamentalists in all religions that are thehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/pssdov/old-time-religion-fuels-americas-climate-of-hate_b_1750991_175307923.htmlHistory |Permalink |Share it LogicGuru14 Fans 19 hours ago (12:34 AM)Thanks--you're right of course. But let me tell you, I've got any amount of blowback from the rise of the Religious Right recently. Someone asked me, in seriousness, whether I believed in creationism (I initially through he was being facetious). People assume I hold a socially conservative views that I do not hold. I'm a liberal Episcopalian.
Explaining that I'm a good socialist, that my church does not regard homosexual activity as morally wrong and in official doctrinal statements opposes all forms of discrimination against GLBT people, etc. doesn't help. I've been castigated as an "enabler" of conservative Evangelicals by people who blame non-Evangelical Christians for not somehow getting the Religious Right under control.
I've never even (knowingly) met an Evangelical. I don't talk Jeeeee-zus talk, I'm not a "Bible-believing Christian," I'm not born again (once was enough)--I'm into incense and Anglican chant. I'm harmless! Thanks again.LogicGuru: Thanks--you're right of course. But let me tell you, I'vehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/LogicGuru/old-time-religion-fuels-americas-climate-of-hate_b_1750991_175355075.htmlHistory |Permalink |Share itThis comment has been down-ranked into oblivion. View comment You have not right to carry out this operation or Error this operation.

Loading comments…This comment has been down-ranked into oblivion. View comment You have not right to carry out this operation or Error this operation. There are More Comments on this Thread. Click Here To See them All

Loading comments…

Loading comments…

Loading comments…

Loading comments…

Loading comments…This comment has been down-ranked into oblivion. View comment You have not right to carry out this operation or Error this operation.

Loading comments… new comment(s) on this entry — Click to refresh

Loading comments… FOLLOW US

Connect with your friends Check out stories you might like,
and see what your friends are sharing!

Loading twitter module...

Most Popular on HuffPost bz4yupTOeydftmbmHaermeR7W5I50N3fH6hXq%2Blv2eATFlb7DkNB%2FouACidog9HbTLpQbt8KZl77Z3o6QqoYbCg%2Fg4aKKxP31ni6Zn1gZzq1ujq8%2FRbfZqUtjbBhNTUOKAaMAaicFshAl%2FtzGbuBRDYFuFtmv6Nwe21wR6Spx7wBcQUGX4v9iJfsy38BNj%2BD1 of 2

WATCH: Diver's Embarrassing Flop Dubbed The Worst Olympic Dive
Like 4k

Pizza Delivery Chain Raising Prices Because Of Obamacare
Like 30k

LOOK: Father's Shocking Letter Disowning Gay Son Goes Viral
Like 12k

Bain's Blood Money: Mitt Romney Started Bain Capital With Funds From Families Tied To Death Squads
Recommend 22k

Texas Executes Man With 61 IQ
Like 14k

High Drama On The Balance Beam
Like 265

LOOK: Mesmerizing Photos Simultaneously Capture Two Sides Of Drag Queens
Like 13k

Another Gold For Aly
Like 1k

Americans Win Third Straight Beach Volleyball Gold
Like 497 Don't Miss HuffPost Bloggers1 of 5

Derek ShearerAfter Obama Wins: What to Expect, What to Work for

Sandra FlukeWhy I’m Standing With President Obama Today

Gov. Jennifer M. GranholmMadame Voldemort Is Wrong: Public Employees Are American Heroes

Rev. Al SharptonCheaters Never Win

Bill MoyersWhat LBJ Taught Me About Medicare, and Why Everyone Should Have It (Video)

Norman LearHey, Guys, Hear This!!

Steve ClemonsState Department Says Pentagon Doing Just a Really, Really Great Job

Jeffrey SachsWaiting in Vain for the Quick Fix

Leo W. GerardGOP: Lack of Insurance Revokes Sanctity of Life

Dr. Peggy DrexlerNo, Women Aren’t The New Men MOST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW2RgnQXLokElFimSGDV8i8a43pip0bdKPiJKomeBLqmM3QvAVQ0trgKQA9zRBn5c91 of 2

Texas Executes Man With 61 IQ

Sikh Temple Gunman Killed Himself: FBI
HOT ON FACEBOOK2RgnQXLokElFimSGDV8i8TKPvBq8xPkmgYINREC4w8w%3DiJKomeBLqmM3QvAVQ0trgPTAYkCdRanfpr%2BnvSQA9QM%3DjpeKJKgSs0bJPlRX0pV4Fss35VaaM%2Fhsd5ArrOAf1yA%3Dnrz%2BgqbrwhQVzjMwm%2FHgJg%3D%3D1 of 3

Burglar Allegedly Sneaks Into Homes And Performs Oral Sex On Sleeping Men

Temple Shooting Victims Described By Families And Friends


HOT ON TWITTER2RgnQXLokElFimSGDV8i8f8ym0hHXTufiJKomeBLqmM3QvAVQ0trgDrc%2BaNUFZ3B1 of 2 RT @barackobama Sandra Fluke: "Why I'm Standing with President Obama Today" http://t.co/qeog1fzl

barackobama Sandra Fluke: "Why I'm Standing with President Obama Today" http://t.co/qeog1fzl Retweet RT @aol Barbie's proportions on a real woman are mildly terrifying (PHOTO) http://t.co/8i5qsPcy via @huffpostwomen

aol Barbie's proportions on a real woman are mildly terrifying (PHOTO) http://t.co/8i5qsPcy via @huffpostwomen Retweet HUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES

Carolina Foothills Nudist Resort Holds 'Survivor -- Nudist Style' Contest (WARNING: Graphic Photos)Video

Lolo Jones Has No Regrets Despite Media Criticism, Hopes To Return For 2016 Olympics (PHOTOS)OLYMPICS NEWS

Susan G. Komen Komen Founder Nancy Brinker To Leave CEO RolePlanned Parenthood

Romney Compares California's Economy To Greece's Economic CrisisMitt Romney

Raymond Roth, Swimmer Who Allegedly Faked Drowning Death At NY Beach, Now In HospitalNew York Crime

Neil Armstrong, 1st Person To Walk On Moon, Has Heart SurgeryHeart Disease

Macy's Challenges Amazon For Same-Day DeliveryAmazon

22 Cheap Eats Destinations In Los Angeles - Eater Maps - Eater LALA Restaurants

Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Frankie Muniz To Guest On 'Don't Trust The B---- In Apt. 23'Television more big news pages »


Sign up by clicking here. Questions? Find out more: offthebus@huffingtonpost.com

Send us your robocalls!#ofb_widget{top: 0;}#ofb_widget.fixed {position: fixed; top: 15;}var OffTheBus = {post_join_actions_url:'/gadgets/campaigns_post_join_action.php?campaign_id=',Init :function() {jQuery('#ofb_widget').css('display','');},Report:function(){if (!HPUser.is_logged_in()){QuickLogin.pop();}else{jQuery.get(OffTheBus.post_join_actions_url + "114",function(data){huff.use('modal', function(m){ m.show({ content: data, width: 750, })});HPUtil.EvalScript(data);});}},Mail:function(){huff.use('modal', function(m){ m.show({ url:"/web-services/offthebus/signup.html", width: 585,height:525, })});},Join:function(id){//add contributor to campaignsjQuery.get(OffTheBus.post_join_actions_url + id,function(data){huff.use('connect/modal', function(connect_modal){connect_modal.init(function(){huff.use('modal', function(modal){modal.show({theme:'connect_modal',content: data,width: 750,height: 550});});});});});},};jQuery(document).ready(OffTheBus.Init);jQuery(document).ready(function () { jQuery(window).scroll(function (event) {var top = jQuery('#otb_module').offset().top - parseFloat(jQuery('#otb_module').css('marginTop')); var y = jQuery(this).scrollTop();if (y >= top) { jQuery('#ofb_widget').addClass('fixed'); } else { jQuery('#ofb_widget').removeClass('fixed'); } });});
Advertise | Make HuffPost your Home Page | RSS | Careers | FAQ User Agreement | Privacy | Comment Policy | About Us | About Our Ads | Contact Us Copyright © 2012 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. | "The Huffington Post" is a registered trademark of TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. All rights reserved. Part of
HPMG News HuffPost Lightbox
View the original article here
This post was made using the
Auto Blogging Software from
WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق