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Tuesday, May 22, 2007

How to Live Your Life

posted by on May 22 at 16:47 PM

In the comment thread to this post I did yesterday about how a lot of personal blogs out there show just how religious America actually is, I noted that I found it a little annoying that people wore their religions on their sleeves.

A sarcastic commenter took me to task:

Yes. Just what exactly is the point of wearing one’s religion on one’s sleeve? Kinda reminds me of those ridiculous gay pride parades.

I get their point. Identity politics, be it for queers or Evangelicals, certainly rubs lots of people the wrong way.

Here’s the big difference between queer identity politics and Evangelical identity politics, though. When the religious right wears its politics on its sleeve, it’s to tell other people how to live: You cannot have this prescription; you cannot get an abortion; you cannot marry the person you’re in love with; you cannot not teach anything except abstinence.

The only gray areas, I guess, are in the Intelligent Design debate and the prayer in school debate, where Evangelicals believe they’re being oppressed, and being told how to live. I say “gray area” because I’m not so sure they have a point: the Christian Right wants prayer in school to be an official part of the classroom, and non-believers would have to opt out. So, in that scenario, the Evangelicals are telling people how they should live. (It’d be a different story if they were just arguing that students should be allowed to pray privately at lunch or something—which they already have the right to do anyway.)

Meanwhile, gay identity politics isn’t about telling others what to do. It’s about equal protection so gays can live their lives. This seems to me a completely legit reason to wear it on your sleeve. No doubt it annoys some people. But it’s not telling others how to live.

RSS icon Comments

1

Thanks for telling me how to think.

Posted by what is and what isn't | May 22, 2007 5:02 PM
2

@1

Nice try... but...

Better than attempting to pass laws that dictate how you should live.

You can easily disregard my advice on how to think.

Posted by Josh Feit | May 22, 2007 5:07 PM
3

Laws dictate how you live? Get a life.

Posted by what is and what isn't | May 22, 2007 5:14 PM
4

If the law says I can't get benefits through my partner... I can't get benefits through my partner.

Posted by Josh Feit | May 22, 2007 5:17 PM
5
Laws dictate how you live? Get a life.

Laws prevent me from doing lots of things I might feel like doing, such as killing people I disagree with, lighting up cigarettes at work, and not paying my taxes. We have a name for those who refuse to allow laws to dictate how they live: criminals.

Posted by Shub-Negrorath | May 22, 2007 5:31 PM
6

Going back to the original post you said the constant "praise god" stuff reminded you of bin Laden. I agree on that point, but you didn't specifically say why. Bin Laden and his ilk in any culture have a habit of punctuating sentences during their speeches with "God is great," or "sieg heil" or whatever. Saying "god bless" may be comparatively harmless, but it has a similar emotional resonance for people like us. Creeps me out too. But I really don't think they mean the same thing by it that bin Laden does. Probably some moderate moslems say "Allahu akbar" when their team scores in sports. I won't grudge people their low-key religious expressions as long as they aren't using them to underscore fucked-up sentiments.

Posted by christopher | May 22, 2007 5:49 PM
7

i always say god bless when i see a grown man in a pretty dress, when i get a loose pork sammich from from salumi, and right after my boyfriend finishes performing his husbandly duties

Posted by reverend dr dj riz | May 22, 2007 5:54 PM
8

It seems unfair to conflate conservative, self-righteous evangelicals with all religious people. Is it still annoying when people wear their faith on their sleeves if they aren't telling people how to live their lives?

Posted by lorax | May 22, 2007 6:11 PM
9

Given that your complaint was initially about people saying "God Bless" on their blogs and not about, say, displaying the Ten Commandments in a courthouse or requiring the teaching of Intelligent Design, the criticism does seem a little unfair. Why should I care if people wanna say "God Bless" on their own blog? How is that telling me how to live?

Posted by flamingbanjo | May 22, 2007 6:54 PM
10

"Here’s the big difference between queer identity politics and Evangelical identity politics, though. When the religious right wears its politics on its sleeve, it’s to tell other people how to live: You cannot have this prescription; you cannot get an abortion; you cannot marry the person you’re in love with; you cannot not teach anything except abstinence."

Unless, of course, you're Bruce Bawer.

Posted by johnnie | May 22, 2007 8:10 PM
11

The problem here is that you've said "religious" in your first sentence and then begun discussing the conservative religious right. Not all "religious" people are legalistic neocons.

Posted by Adam | May 22, 2007 9:51 PM
12

What about the religious people who aren't reactionary morons? Is it OK for us to mind our own business, worship as we choose, love our neighbors, and try to live our lives according to our own moral code?

Or is that annoying to you, too?

DO NOT conflate all Christians with the noisy ones that get all the press. THAT, my friend, is annoying.

Posted by Lee Gibson | May 22, 2007 9:54 PM
13

Sorry #5
I don't feel like killing people I disagree with and it's a character flaw if you feel that way. Laws certainly don't prevent people from killing or breaking any other law. I pay taxes, come to a full stop at stop signs, throw trash in the garbage bin, wear my seatbelt, etc. It's not some fine or jail term or any other governmental scare tactic that prevents me from doing those things. It's because it's wise to want to stay safe in a vehicle, to not pollute the environment, to avoid hitting somebody crossing the street, and well, taxes, I'm not sure what to say, but I still pay them. Government laws don't come near dictating my life like the laws of science or the moral codes I try to follow, which could said to be 'laws' as well.

#4
I'm too independent to depend on my partner for benefits. While lots of people do, and some get those benefits while others don't, suck it up. Have you ever heard the phrase, life isn't fair?

Posted by Marion | May 22, 2007 10:29 PM
14

Summing a person's identity into being Christian/Gay (circle accordingly) is more than obnoxious. It's simplistic, and against individual thought. Just because you're Christian doesn't mean you have to behave like "every other Christian." (substitute 'Gay,' and the truth holds) It's just an excuse not to think for yourself and allow people like the late Falwell or, say, organizations like the Seattle Gay News to have thoughts and opinions for you.

Posted by RJ | May 23, 2007 6:17 AM
15

Hey Josh, just have to say, A-FUCKING-MEN
People, live your life, I'll live mine. If I happen to physically tread on you in some way, speak the fuck up, but if I dont, then shut the fuck up.
Mmm, K?
Thanks

Posted by Matthew | May 23, 2007 10:37 AM
16

Oh and....

Lets consult the rule book(known as the Holy Bible). In the New Testament, Christ ridiculed the jews who stood out on street corners, shouting prayers to God...so everyone could see how "godly" they were. He then told them(using plain english here, not king james english)to go to their room and close the door and talk to god, IN PRIVATE. Wearing your religion on your sleeve(if you are a practicing christian)is just plain wrong. Those who do are no better than the Jews Christ was condemning for doing the same thing.
READ THEIR RULE BOOK PEOPLE. If Christians expect us to live our lives as they want us to, we as non-christians need to hold them to their own rules. Whether we believe the Bible or not, READ IT, KNOW IT, and then if you so CHOOSE, live it.
And then kindly get out of my face with it, go to your own private room and talk to God all you want....AS INSTRUCTED BY THE SON OF GOD.

Posted by Matthew | May 23, 2007 10:45 AM
17

Laws most decidedly make a difference. Until those of us who believe in equality got the laws changed, you could go to jail for being gay. You could lose your job. You could lose custody of your children. This is not theoretical to me; I was brought up by my mother and her (female) partner, and they were VERY VERY VERY cautious about letting anyone know they were anything but roommates. They could have been put in jail. They almost certainly would have lost their jobs. They most definitely would have lost custody of me.

So don't talk to me about "suck it up" about how gayfolks should just STFU and not worry about whether or not bigots want them not to exist, because sometimes those bigots get the upper hand, and then gayfolks CAN'T just "live their life."

Laws most definitely can dictate how an LGBT person can live, who they can love, to whom they can be married, whether they can have children. It's not only disingenuous, it's downright stupid, to pretend otherwise.

Posted by Geni | May 23, 2007 1:02 PM
18

#11 & #12
Once again non-evangelical christians complain about being lumped in with reactionary morons. Where are your voices? You sit at home saying NOTHING about those "bad" christians who are giving you "good" christians a bad name. If you're not, as a christian, going to come out against these reactionary morons then sit down and shut the fuck up when someone bashes your beliefs.

Posted by Dan | May 23, 2007 1:12 PM
19

Josh, I agree with you on all counts.

Posted by Silvia | May 23, 2007 1:16 PM
20

#13, How would you feel if the same thing was said about women? Women don't get paid as much as men. Women should stay out of the work force. Women can't vote. Suck that up. Women's sufferage, what?

It's about goddam time for Gay Sufferage!

What makes straight people think that they're better than gays? Why is it so wrong to get EQUAL rights?

Women fought for it, blacks fought for it, now it's our turn!

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