http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/11/30/debora-barr-isnt-a-lesbian-anymore Comments On: Debora Barr Escaped the Lesbian Lifestyle by Dan Savage en-us Copyright 2013 The Stranger. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, The Stranger readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Sun, 26 May 2013 00:00:01 -0700 Sun, 26 May 2013 00:15:00 -0700 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss
@59 - It's fine, as far as it goes, aside from being predicated on a rather huge "if"--that is, IF there is a conscious, immutable, morally preoccupied, essentially anthropomorphic deity, and if the Bible (for instance; feel free to insert the theistic text of your choice) represents his/her/its will, then what you say comes dangerously close to making sense. Of course, we have no direct evidence of this, which brings us to a fatal flaw--in a faith-based system (as opposed to a works-based system), we are responsible not for what we do (for man is so stained with sin that his works are as "filthy rags"), but for what we believe. Except we do not choose what we believe, so far as we define "belief" as they do in philosophy--namely, as the holding of a given posit as true. Since belief cannot be either counter-factual (though it can be extra-factual) or counter-intuitive, one can only hold beliefs for which one's perceptions (and aptitude for organizing those perceptions).

A works-based system seems marginally better, but again, it relies on one believing, at least, in both the deity and the veracity of the revealed text to determine what "works" this deity prefers, or the "sins" from which this deity would have us abstain.

Thus, there is no recourse to actual choice in a system requiring the favor of deity to achieve salvation . . . unless, of course, said deity sees fit to make his/her/its existence and intentions known by way of irrefutable evidence. Indeed, if such a being existed (and as a Nichiren Buddhist, I don't believe it does), I'm inclined to say that opposing it is a moral imperative, since it's essentially making a game of chance out of the individual's salvation.
Posted by thelyamhound]]> Tue, 04 Dec 2012 13:26:59 -0800 The Stranger
I could start writing with my right hand, if I wanted to; it would be months, at least, before it became legible, but I could do it. It still wouldn't make me right-handed. Are you obligated to believe that? Obviously not. You only have my word for it that I'm left-handed. Conversely, I could say that I'd become more proficient at writing with my right hand than I'd ever been with my left--that I was not, in fact, left-handed, but had come to believe that I was
by way of negligence, faulty reasoning, or lack of exposure to "normal" right-handed behavior. And you'd STILL have to evaluate that story on what you perceived to be its merits and determine for yourself whether it rings true.
Posted by thelyamhound]]> Tue, 04 Dec 2012 13:15:45 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Sulli]]> Mon, 03 Dec 2012 11:11:29 -0800 The Stranger
She doesn't come across as 'anti-male', but as just not very interested in men.
Posted by James Hutchings]]> Mon, 03 Dec 2012 08:50:22 -0800 The Stranger
'Gang stalking' is also a phenomenon that exists entirely in the minds of lunatics.

I mean, not that I'm suggesting that someone who calls themselves Supreme Ruler of the Universe could be nuts.
Posted by James Hutchings]]> Mon, 03 Dec 2012 08:45:36 -0800 The Stranger Posted by brendan]]> Sun, 02 Dec 2012 21:21:47 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Lissa]]> Sun, 02 Dec 2012 21:14:17 -0800 The Stranger Posted by sarah70]]> Sun, 02 Dec 2012 20:51:08 -0800 The Stranger
Its a 0% success rate.
Posted by you give them too much credit]]> Sun, 02 Dec 2012 20:22:08 -0800 The Stranger
There's no evidence to indicate she's become heterosexual, only that she's stopped dating.
Posted by RealityBites]]> Sun, 02 Dec 2012 18:57:37 -0800 The Stranger
"SEE!?" they say, "IT'S TRUE! IT REALLY IS POSSIBLE! WE HAVE ONE ANECDOTE OUT OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF TRIALS!"

I'm sorry, but with a 99.9% failure rate, that's not success. That's confirmation bias.
Posted by gromm]]> Sun, 02 Dec 2012 18:08:09 -0800 The Stranger
As the victim of this religious brainwashing I feel sorry for her. As a shill for the brainwashers trying to convince other people to fuck themselves up as badly as she is, I have none. Once she becomes an agent of the people wanting to fuck gay people over she becomes one of them.
Posted by Fortunate]]> Sun, 02 Dec 2012 13:03:05 -0800 The Stranger Posted by J.R.]]> Sun, 02 Dec 2012 10:07:39 -0800 The Stranger Posted by ScrawnyKayaker]]> Sat, 01 Dec 2012 22:38:04 -0800 The Stranger
That said, yeah, she comments more on her abusive partners than the nice one. Get this lady to therapy. She EXPECTS you to tell her she needs to change. That's why the hetero women were better partners than her lover.
Posted by Hanoumatoi]]> Sat, 01 Dec 2012 21:41:49 -0800 The Stranger
Did I miss something? Did Obama take a position on same-sex marraige? Why wasn't it in the Mainstream Media?? Damn liberal agenda!
Posted by LML]]> Sat, 01 Dec 2012 19:09:19 -0800 The Stranger
you're welcome.

just curious, what part doesn't work for you?
Posted by are you sure you've actually bloomed?]]> Sat, 01 Dec 2012 17:46:11 -0800 The Stranger Posted by TVDinner]]> Sat, 01 Dec 2012 17:12:48 -0800 The Stranger
We now return to our regularly scheduled program.
Posted by LateBloomer]]> Sat, 01 Dec 2012 17:09:29 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Joe Glibmoron]]> Sat, 01 Dec 2012 14:06:10 -0800 The Stranger The one she "entered into a Civil Union" with in 2001.
"We bought property together and built our dream home, co-mingling everything we owned."
My partner and I found a church that we loved the first time we attended service.
"We were determined that over time we would bring change to the church and eventually they would openly accept gays as we showed them that our love for each other was pure."

But then ... !

"We requested baptism, and were both called into the assistant pastor’s office where he told us he didn’t know if he could baptize us since we were living in sin ..."
"After a long discussion where we both told him that we would walk away from our lifestyle if that is what God told us to do ..."

So the woman you loved and civil unioned and bought property with ... both of you were okay with a decision to end sex after "a long discussion".

"Over the next two years, I became more and more involved in the church."

Two years so far without sex.

"They confronted our beliefs in a gentle and loving way, never backing down from their convictions, but gently showing us what the scriptures said about the way we were living."

Hadn't you already given up sex? So you were more like roommates. Except with a previous romantic history.

"We began by moving into separate bedrooms in our house, and eventually, my partner moved out."

So the girlfriend seems to be a cypher who just facilitates whatever the author wants at the time she wants it.
And is not mentioned again.

"I thank God for the healthy heterosexual women who surrounded me with love as I suffered through this transition."

And nothing for the woman who facilitated that entire process.
Posted by fairly.unbalanced]]> Sat, 01 Dec 2012 14:01:20 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Tor]]> Sat, 01 Dec 2012 13:59:33 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Joe Glibmoron]]> Sat, 01 Dec 2012 13:27:59 -0800 The Stranger What a crock, but it's nice Jeebus has made her a decent human being after all those years of sin. Praise Him!
Dan- Way to go, man! Your own tab on a hater site.
Posted by OutInBumF]]> Sat, 01 Dec 2012 13:18:12 -0800 The Stranger
So, now she has a deep, personal relationship with Jesus but she's said nothing about having healthy relationships with men or that she's craving cock now.
Posted by ignatz ratzkywatzky]]> Sat, 01 Dec 2012 13:04:48 -0800 The Stranger