Comment

Comment by The Flying Atheist on June 5, 2017 at 10:32pm

I love that John McEnroe video.  I don't follow tennis, so I'm not too familiar with the personal side of John McEnroe, so that was fun to see.

Now that we're in June, Pride Month, leave it to The Onion for a serious report on the subject...

Small Town Throws Pride Parade For Only Gay Resident

Comment by Bertold Brautigan on June 5, 2017 at 8:01pm

John McEnroe comes back beautifully on Margaret Court's complaint that tennis is "full of lesbians.."

Comment by The Flying Atheist on May 26, 2017 at 12:52am

Daniel, I'm not familiar with the details of the Taiwan marriage ruling.  You may be correct about their legislative process.  Of course our ruling came via a court decision.  I'm not sure what events led up to the ruling in Taiwan.

Comment by The Flying Atheist on May 25, 2017 at 7:25pm

I'm sure most of you have heard this news, but I didn't want this great achievement to go unrecognized in this forum.  This is a historic event for an Asian country.

Taiwan Legalizes Same-sex Marriage

Comment by Bertold Brautigan on May 13, 2017 at 12:11am

Andrew, I think you've pinpointed a genuine dilemma here. On the one hand, people do have the right to their own beliefs, and (I guess . . . here's where the dilemma comes in) pass those beliefs to their children. At the same time, to poison young people's minds with such utterly vicious, superstitious, life-negative bullshit seems in some objective sense to be a repugnant violation of any sane values. A dilemma with goring horns and sharp teeth.

Comment by Andrew on May 12, 2017 at 11:16pm

I'm not a history scholar, but the only times I'm aware of religion being officially outlawed, it was done by repressive, totalitarian regimes, much to the detriment of religious practitioners or anyone else seen as being subversive or dissident. Banning any widely accepted way of life is usually tyrannical, including even restricting dogma that we see as harmful, regressive, and self defeating. I agree that force cannot prevail, but that hearts and minds must change. I just don't have much confidence that we'll see that anytime in the foreseeable future.

Comment by The Flying Atheist on May 12, 2017 at 9:28am

Bertold, you bring up a good point about religion and child abuse.  While society presently doesn't equate religion in its entirety as abuse, at least we are seeing legislation banning gay conversion therapy, in addition to laws already in place banning FGM.  And we're also seeing pushback against religious exemptions when it comes to vaccinations and withholding medical care.  At least some of these worst practices are being eschewed.  . 

Comment by The Flying Atheist on May 12, 2017 at 9:15am

That's a very hard question to answer, Plinius.  Parents who induct children into religion really do believe they are doing a right and moral deed.  Fundamentalists aside, even the vast majority of religious people who make up watered-down, mainstream religions think what they are doing is innocuous.

Since terminating religion cannot be legislated away, we can only rely on changing minds.  Fortunately being non-religious is the current trend, despite how excruciatingly slow it is happening.  

Comment by Grinning Cat on May 12, 2017 at 6:38am

Who was it who said:

"Religion is like a penis.

It's fine to have one. It's fine to be proud of it.

But please don't wave it around in public.

And do not try to shove it down my children's throats."

Comment by Bertold Brautigan on May 12, 2017 at 6:37am

Hopefully one day indoctrinating children into religious beliefs will be recognized as child abuse.

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