Comments on What They Said

Dan - Thank you for saying something nice about Christians. We are a very diverse bunch, and many of those you meet in these parts are with you on the gay marriage issue.

This is one of those very rare, special occasions when we hear religious viewpoints from people other than James Dobson, Pat Robertson, or Mark Driscoll.

Well allow me to say that people who believe in God are retarded. Retarded.

Awww

I'm curious: why give him grief for being a Protestant?

Er, Episcopalian... I can't read!

Because it's not the true Church! Mother Rome!

Episcopalianism: It's like a drinking game in the name of Christ. Believe what you want to, and then drink some whiskey.

Also, the Rt. Rvd. Gene Robinson is a member of my Fraternity. He came back to visit two years ago. He's the shit. And one reason why I remain an Episcopalian (also, see definition above).

Finally! I've never understood why religions would rail against promiscuous sex and at the same time deny marriage rights to homos. It doesn't compute.

So nice to hear of religious leaders who actually grok the family values of their faith.  Well done!

yes indeedy it is nice they're being decent human beings on the issue. That said, religion is just delusion, period. Somtimes it's harmless, admittedly it's reassuring, but far too often in history harmful and hateful. Some of the Episcopalians seem rather genrous of spirit, I particularly like Desmond Tutu's response to a nonbeliever, said with complete warmth and kindness:

To Tutu (that sounds rather nice doesn't it): "I don't believe in God."

Tutu: "But he believes in you1"

coming out of the mouth of an evangelical conservative christian that could be a hateful statement, coming from Tutu it was a statement of unconditional love

this won't change the minds of 1 mouth breather that this amendment vote was meant for. It function is to turn out rw fundy voters for McCain/Palin.

rw fundies aren't episcopalian. they're beyond the control of the rational wings of christianity.

this is why the catholic church serves an essential function as a moderating force controlling the know-nothings & overly enthused.

I wish the Presbyterians could copy that page from the Book of Common Prayer . . . .

Episcopalians are Anglicans, who aren't really Protestants, are they?

I suck protestant dick

Whatta coincidence! Me too!

Also, @ 9: They never let logic get in the way of a good hating.

Take that, splitters.

Vasya, the Anglican Church was formed by King Henry VIII when he wanted a divorce. I'm not certain whether the Anglicans were the first Protestant sect (I'm sure there are entire sects dedicated to parsing what constitutes a Protestant sect), but Anglicans are indeed Protestants.

“We do not believe that marriage of heterosexuals is threatened by same-sex marriage.”

Effects of SSM: So far, "Bride" and "Groom" were replaced with "Party A" and "Party B" on the license form. There will be a lot more infertile married couples, raising the demand for adoptable kids and for surrogate mothers. Domestic violence will produce more battered wives (to be separated from battering wives), and more battered husbands.

I'm happy to be an Episcopalian. Most of the time.

But 18, where the hell did that domestic violence bit come from?

I don't think it's really appropriate to give anyone grief about their choice of religion.

#11 Religion is a lot more than just delusion. The reason the major religions got to be major is that they borrow Plato's old gimmick of calling this world (that is the real world) imperfect and flawed. This gets them around the real world's extremely consistent failure to provide any evidence to support religious bullshit. Opposition to life in the real world and the things it requires-- chief among them for human beings being reliance on the evidence of your senses and reason-- always turns violent eventually. Delusion is a malfunctioning consciousness, religion is deliberate sabotage of the consciousness. The difference is huge.

This makes me proud to be a Californian and almost makes me want to become an Episcopalian. Almost....

Vasya, Lee Gibson is mostly right. The Church of England (Anglicanism) came out of Henry VIII's desire for divorce but Lutheranism is the first true protestant sect. Anglicanism, and Episcopalianism, are protestant in as much as they are not Catholic, but were not started from the stand point of protesting the problems with the Catholic Church.