Anti-Bullying Speaker Curses Christian Teens; 100 Students Walk Out

[Jase]

So...someone walking out on Glenn Beck, Limbaugh, etc, would receive the same response from you?

If it was relevant to a career in which opposing viewpoints must be dealt with and looked at with neutrality yes.

 

[Jase]

I think Savage should have ignored them, but I don't see that he cursed anyone in particular. Dan Savage addressed his feelings on Christians who are offended by his distaste for anti gay Christians.. he doesn't care - he feels it more important that children who are broken down by those Christians who are cruel have support because too many are choosing not to live rather than wait for it to get better.

And I think that's the crux of the argument here. I have far less sympathy for a bunch of mildly offended conservative Christians being "insulted" by Dan Savage, than I do for the gay kids who are being bullied into suicide by those so called "Christians".

 

[UnamSanctam]

No, since I'm not attacking the whole of Christianity, or Jesus.

So, you're attacking Christians for being Christians, but it's not an attack on Christianity. Seems legit.

Merely criticizing many of his self-righteous followers. Christianity is a religion invented by humans.

"Christianity" is the name ascribed to what the NT also calls "the Way".

Jesus was a Jew, not a Christian.

It'd be pretty hard for Him to be a Christian when that term was not used until years after His ascension back into Heaven, wouldn't you say?
Doesn't prove any gosh darned part of what you're saying.

Another ad hominem.

If you call THAT an ad hominem, you should stay out of internet debates, and go back to watching Teletubbies. It wasn't anything of the kind - it was a watered down version of a more appropriate, and more popular, meme.

Just as Fundamentalists continue to twist the entire Bible to sue their own bigotry, ignorance, and prejudice.

Thanks for proving my point.

Just because you say that Christians twist the entire Bible, doesn't make it so.

 

[Verticordious]

You've got to admire a mindset like this. Create a society where gays are vilified and prevented from settling down, then blame them for the inevitable psychological problems that causes.

Try retaking your data in a society where gays haven't been systematically oppressed for the last few decades, then we'll talk.

Of course, to provide a comparison to get that data gays will need equal rights.

Homosexuals aren't the only group being "bullied". The mainstream media bullies conservatives all the time. There have also been studies done, such as studies in the Netherlands, where homosexual marriage has been legal for over a decade, along with same-sex unions for 33 years, and there was no statistically significant difference in suicide rates.

Suicidality and sexual orientation: differenc... [Arch Sex Behav. 2006] - PubMed - NCBI

 

[Gadarene]

Homosexuals aren't the only group being "bullied". The mainstream media bullies conservatives all the time.

Riiiiight. Have they been killing themselves over it?

But again, whatever you have to do to try and force parity. I'm sure a minor who wants to change schools can do so as easily as turning off a television.

There have also been studies done, such as studies in the Netherlands, where homosexual marriage has been legal for over a decade, along with same-sex unions for 33 years, and there was no statistically significant difference in suicide rates.

Suicidality and sexual orientation: differenc... [Arch Sex Behav. 2006] - PubMed - NCBI

"Among homosexual men, perceived discrimination was associated with suicidality."



The solution therefore is to ignore the conservatives regardless, who just want to make things even worse for them.

 

[wanderingone]

And I think that's the crux of the argument here. I have far less sympathy for a bunch of mildly offended conservative Christians being "insulted" by Dan Savage, than I do for the gay kids who are being bullied into suicide by those so called "Christians".

Exactly. I don't care if people walked out on the guy... and as far as I'm concerned his only "apology" should continue to be:

Did that hurt to hear? Good. But hearing it couldn't have hurt nearly as much as what the boys in the photo above had to listen to—day-in, day-out, for years—at schools filled with bigoted little monsters created not in the image of a loving God, but in the images of the hateful and false "followers of Christ" they call "mom and dad."

The original post included the photos of 4 children who died as a result of bullying. Please be aware the link is to Savage Love, there is nothing in the entry that is graphic but there are some curses.. and obviously its not kind to certain kinds of Christians.

With that post in 2010 Dan Savage took a stand I have to support. As the mother of a child who was bullied and abused through middle school because she's a lesbian I remain grateful to people like Dan who are willing to point out that with no real safe place to go from the bullying children like my daughter often die. My daughter knew I would take whatever stand she wanted me to with her school and her vicious classmates, she had a local youth group where she could gather with other LGBT kids and maybe more importantly - "straight" kids who were clear that they would also take a stand for their friends. She had a welcoming, inclusive church that reminded her that HER people loved her, accepted her and would always provide shelter from any storm. Too many of her friends in her group were missing that, and Dan Savage might be the only voice they hear saying you don't have a right to verbally abuse and assault your children in the name of your faith.

So to Dan Savage I say "keep up the good work" because children shouldn't be dying because they can't face another day of abuse.

 

[Verticordious]

Riiiiight. Have they been killing themselves over it?

But again, whatever you have to do to try and force parity. I'm sure a minor who wants to change schools can do so as easily as turning off a television.

"Among homosexual men, perceived discrimination was associated with suicidality."



The solution therefore is to ignore the conservatives regardless, who just want to make things even worse for them.

Feel free to keep reading:
"This study suggests that even in a country with a comparatively tolerant climate regarding homosexuality, homosexual men were at much higher risk for suicidality than heterosexual men."

 

[Gadarene]

Feel free to keep reading:
"This study suggests that even in a country with a comparatively tolerant climate regarding homosexuality, homosexual men were at much higher risk for suicidality than heterosexual men."

Well it sure isn't a case for listening to you lot.

 

[Daniel25]

Moreover there is another group in America that also has higher rates a depression, suicide, and STD transmission than average: African Americans. Racists like to suggest this is because African Americans are "inferior" to Caucasians. However most reasonable people understand that societal bigotry and discrimination (however subtle) contributes a great deal to the emotional/social problems African Americans face.

.

whites are about 2.5x more likely to commit suicide than blacks or hispanics.


Depression is also more common in whites than hispanics or blacks.



Do you always just make stuff up that seems convienant for you?

 

[Skaloop]

Feel free to keep reading:
"This study suggests that even in a country with a comparatively tolerant climate regarding homosexuality, homosexual men were at much higher risk for suicidality than heterosexual men."

Well, having 20% of the population hate you is better than having 50% hate you, but there's still that 20%. What are the relative numbers for homosexual suicides between "more tolerant" and "less tolerant" countries? Because if, say, 1% of the general heterosexual population commits suicide, and 3% of homosexuals commit suicide in tolerant countries compared to 5% in less tolerant countries, then that doesn't go against the argument that homosexual suicide rates are due to societal non-acceptance.

*those percentages aren't based on anything, they are just used as examples to illustrate the point.

 

[Daniel25]

maybe committing suicide is always indicative of a highly disordered mind.

 

[Skaloop]

maybe committing suicide is always indicative of a highly disordered mind.

Maybe. What's that have to do with homosexuality?

 

[Daniel25]

Maybe. What's that have to do with homosexuality?

because then bullying is immaterial to suicide.


But there will be no real martyrs for homo rights; only invented ones.

 

[Merope]

whites are about 2.5x more likely to commit suicide than blacks or hispanics.


Depression is also more common in whites than hispanics or blacks.



Do you always just make stuff up that seems convienant for you?

Yes, it is a tried and true method for attacking people you disagree with: lie. I'm just borrowing a tactic from the Family Research Council and other so-called "Christians".

 

[Merope]

because then bullying is immaterial to suicide.

But there will be no real martyrs for homo rights; only invented ones.

Non sequitur.

 

[SonOfTheWest]

because then bullying is immaterial to suicide.


But there will be no real martyrs for homo rights; only invented ones.

DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU.

Hm.....who said that? It's on the tip of my tongue...starts with a Y I believe.....

 

[TheDag]

It isn't any riskier than heterosexual sex,

this statement isn't technically correct either. The way of saying it correctly would be the risk is higher for those who engage in anal sex. That is the biggest danger for transmission of STI's (STD's is no longer the correct terminology!). Skin is more likely to break and that increases the chances of infection occouring in the first place and also being transmitted if one person has an STI.
So to assesss the risk factors one would need to consider the frequency of sex and the number of times it was anal sex. then we can make a proper comparision.

 

[TheDag]

Just as Fundamentalists continue to twist the entire Bible to sue their own bigotry, ignorance, and prejudice.

Thanks for proving my point.

If they have twisted it then how about you provide some actual evidence of that? oh and don't just repost what you have put in another thread as that doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

 

[TheDag]

Riiiiight. Have they been killing themselves over it?

But again, whatever you have to do to try and force parity. I'm sure a minor who wants to change schools can do so as easily as turning off a television

So the solution is to ban and silence anything that might cause suicide is it? Well then it should be illegal for people to consider changing kids from one school to another. uh-oh look out defence force kids. That is going to make a very different looking society. no schools for a start! hey that will solve the problem. They can't be bullied at school if there are none! if your wondering why I am saying no school it is because kids have committed suicide after overhearing a discussion between their parents about moving the child from one school to another.

I think the underlying problem goes deeper. i was bullied at school yet i did not once contemplate suicide. So what is the difference? Suicide happens when a person sees no other option or way out. Even if there is an obvious option to others they themselves do not see that. that is what we desperately need to fix. Calling people names is not the solution.

Ok, so I was going to try and avoid saying this, but what the heck...

Anyone find the notion of a bunch of prospective journalists walking out of an event because they don't like what's being said hilarious?

Talk about career suicide....

well you probably didn't need to as it has already been mentioned in this thread!

 

[PreachersWife2004]

And I think that's the crux of the argument here. I have far less sympathy for a bunch of mildly offended conservative Christians being "insulted" by Dan Savage, than I do for the gay kids who are being bullied into suicide by those so called "Christians".

Then you are simply part of the problem.

You can't throw at me that I don't "love" people when you yourself cannot even follow what you demand of me.