Franklin Graham: Christianist Bigot Claims Religion is Genetic Except for Christians

I never cease to be amazed by the idiocy and bigotry of self-righteous and self-congratulatory Christians. Case in point: Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham who but for his famous father would more than likely be a complete nobody and unknown to anyone (perhaps not a bad thing). This fool and bigot - no other words seems quite appropriate - has shot off his mouth claiming that Barack Obama is a Muslim since with Islam "the seed of Islam is passed through the father like the seed of Judaism is passed through the mother." The exception to this genetic passage of religion is, according to Graham Christians who must "accept Jesus." Yep, that's what evangelical Christianity is coming to. One apparently needs to first have a lobotomy before one can be a Graham style Christian.
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There's no way to state it nicely - Graham is a buffoon and a bigot. In the reality of the objective world - as opposed to Graham's bigoted fantasy land - religion is something CHOSEN and changeable at any time in one's life. It is NOT genetic in any way. And it is NOT an immutable characteristic. No one is born Catholic, Jewish, Muslim or any other denomination or faith. Instead one is either raised by parents in a particular faith tradition (or no faith tradition in some cases) or selects a faith tradition for themselves. Indeed, one can change their religious belief/affiliation at will and countless Americans do so every year according to various Barna Group studies. Indeed, 60 MILLION Americans have changed their religious tradition according to the most recent studies.
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The other thing noteworthy about Graham's verbal diarrhea is that he says that Christian belief is being immutable. This flies squarely in the face of the positions of the majority of anti-gay professional Christians. One of the standard lines of the professional anti-gay crowd is the allegation that being gay is "a choice" and therefore, not an immutable characteristic worthy of constitutional anti-discrimination protections. This specific argument was made in Lawrence v. Texas and the Prop 8 supporters attempted to make the same argument in Perry v. Schwarzenegger more recently. Under Graham's bizarre world, since being Christian is clearly a choice, then by taking the Christianists' own logic to its logical conclusion, born again Christians should net receive any anti-discrimination protections since their religion is a choice and, therefore, clearly not immutable.
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Frankly, Graham's position is pure idiocy. Obama was no more born Muslim than the man in the moon. But if Graham intends to stand by his allegations (which he has said he does), then I say fine. Let's start a ballot initiative to amend California's constitution to strip all born again Christians in that state of anti-discrimination protections. Let them be fired from their jobs, refused housing and subject to all kinds of discrimination. If being a born again Christian isn't an immutable characteristic, then lets use the same logic the Christianist use against LGBT Americans. Here are highlights from ABC News on Franklin Graham's utter batshitery:
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"I think the president's problem is that he was born a Muslim, his father was a Muslim. The seed of Islam is passed through the father like the seed of Judaism is passed through the mother. He was born a Muslim, his father gave him an Islamic name," Graham told CNN's John King in a televised interview that aired Thursday night.
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"Now it's obvious that the president has renounced the prophet Mohammed, and he has renounced Islam, and he has accepted Jesus Christ. That's what he says he has done. I cannot say that he hasn't. So I just have to believe that the president is what he has said," Graham continued, adding that "the Islamic world sees the president as one of theirs."
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As for why Obama and his family rarely go to local church services, the article continues as follows:
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Obama has favored a more private faith since he took office in January 2009, attending formal church services just a handful of times, including Easter of this year.
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Like his predecessor George W. Bush, Obama has said he prefers worshiping at the chapel at Camp David. But the president rarely goes to the presidential retreat, and instead spends Sundays at the White House. Weekend activities often include basketball or golf.
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While the president and his family initially planned to join a church in Washington, they put the search on hold after finding the trappings of the modern presidency too cumbersome for congregation life. Before the president attends a service, the building must be swept for threats and every churchgoer screened for weapons.
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An Obama family visit to the 19th Street Baptist Church, a historic African-American congregation in Washington, turned into a circus atmosphere that dismayed the family, according to aides, particularly after learning that longtime church members were turned away from the service.
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This explanation has real merit. When my sister died, one of my former law partners who was at the time Attorney General of Virginia attended the funeral. Accompanying him were state troopers and a number of plainclothes body guards. I can only imagine the circus involved with an appearance by a U. S. President.

Some Concervative Christians Are Finally Waking UP

One reader of World Net Daily (a/k/a Wingnut World daily) and Front Page Magazine has finally recognized that the true Christians have been conned by Bush, Bozell, Dobson, et al., who are not true conservatives or true Christians:

" I was very reluctant to write this letter because it is so negative, but I've reached the point in which I can no longer stay silent. With your last column, I've decided to stop reading WorldNetDaily. That fact probably means nothing to you since I've never been able to support you financially. But it means something to me. For over eight years I have faithfully read WND every day. I trusted you. I believed you.

To suggest that the press coverage of Abu Ghraib and the reduction of "interrogation" has caused us to "lose" (support for) the war is nonsense. We are losing in Iraq because we haven't defined the enemy and we aren't there to "win." What would winning look like, anyway? This undeclared "war" was never meant to be "won," but to secure a large American presence in Iraq. And why do you and all of the other so-called "conservative" news media ignore the president of Iraq's statement that they are ready for us to leave?

You and others who claim to stand for conservative Christians have gone down that terrible road of endorsing deception, violence and fiscal irresponsibility to justify the actions of a president (whom I voted for twice) who is not only out of touch with his country, but close to becoming our first dictator.

Now the drumbeats are calling for us to "take care of" Iran next. Hitler had his scapegoat in the Jews and Bush has his in the Muslims. And my fellow Christians are happily following him down a terrible path laced with lies, torture, violence and genocide. After it is all over and the dust has cleared, what will we do when they tell the world that the Christians are now the enemy? Haven't we learned anything from history? When we condemn and entire group of people for the actions of a few, we are no better than those who have turned away from God.

You and the others who support the evolution of our political process into essentially a one-party system are guilty of contributing to the destruction of our beloved republic. I am so sorry that you of all people bought into this madness. I really used to enjoy reading WND, but now I've deleted it from my database because you have become like the rest of the people who claim to follow Jesus: You lust for war, violence, torture and injustice. You will say anything to justify these things, which you know go against the teachings of Jesus. Which Jesus supports these things? Not the Jesus I follow, and I have been a Bible-believing traditional conservative Christian for 24 years. Go ahead and rationalize it all you want. We all have to answer to God for our actions, and I will no longer stand with my fellow Christians and endorse this insanity because after four years, I have come to the conclusion that we were deceived right from the start."http://www.frontpagemag.com/GoPostal/commentdetail.asp?ID=29172&commentID=868451

I fully agree with the writers analysis of Bush trying to become a defacto dictator. He surely believes he is above the law and that the Constitution is irrelevant. If he thinks he's another Augustus Caesar, however, he is truly deluded. Would that more of the so-called GOP base would wake up to reality.

"Christian" Bigotry is Alive and Well

I had the most outrageous situation arise with an interviewee for a position in my law firm. I pride myself that my firm is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate because of race, color, religion, sex, marital status, national origin, age, sexual orientation or disability. In keeping with this policy, I inform people interviewing for positions that I am gay and have a number of gay clients. It’s not something I have to do, but out of respect for people’s beliefs and in the endeavor to make sure that my office is a place where everyone can feel comfortable, I tell everyone who interviews for a position. Usually, no one has an issue with my orientation and everything is fine. In fact, when I tell most people, look at me at me strangely and then ask, why would I think that would even be an issue. That is until last week. In follow up to an interview, my office manager received the following e-mail message:

"Thank you for the e-mail, and also for the interview. It seems that you do have a less stressed office than most firms, but I have decided to continue looking until I feel comfortable with the choices that become available. . . . , and as Michael was honest with me, I will be honest with him.

Personally, my heart grieves over all those who choose the lifestyle that Michael chooses, because I believe that choice brings a host of, known or unknown, forces into their lives. I would be grieved working with anyone who wants to continue to bring harm to themselves, and harm can come in many forms. I watched my father do that for years, (he was an alcoholic, and it killed him) and it saddens me when I see people not take good care of themselves, when the strength of God's truth is there to help them in their time of need. He can make our lives healthy. I felt that as soon as I met Michael, that he did not look well. I was not surprised when he told me about himself. I actually felt it as soon as I saw him. I am concerned for his well being, and it would sadden me to work around him and his clients, therefore, I cannot. He might have been uncomfortable with my Biblical viewpoints on living in the healing that can come into a person's life through surrender to God's word.

You may share this with him, it is not meant to criticize him for his choices, it is for me to speak of my convictions. I will pray for his health. Thank you again for your time."

Needless to say, I was a bit dumbfounded, even though I live in an area not even twenty (20) miles from Pat Robertson’s Regent University (in the news of late for having 150 of it graduates recruited by the Bush administration and given positions in government agencies, including the Justice Department, instead of more qualified applicants with degrees from far better law schools – check out the Boston Globe story: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles
/2007/04/08/scandal_puts_spotlight_on_christian_law_school/?page=full).

In any event, I could not bit my tongue and let this shocking condemnation go un- answered. Trying to be calm, I responded with the following to this job interviewee:

"Thank you for your honesty and your wishes for my health. I am sorry that you do not want to work in my firm. However, I certainly respect your right to want a specific pay level and to hold your own religious views. Obviously, the latter does not mean I have to necessarily agree with your beliefs or live by them myself. I would further add that, actually, I feel that I am more "well" now than during the 37 years I spent in self-denial trying to convince myself that I was not really gay.

It may shock you, but I consider myself to be a Christian and I attend church fairly regularly. Moreover, I have done extensive reading of and about the Bible and how it came to be in its present form. I do not selectively choose which Bible passages to strictly construe to the harm of others, while ignoring countless others, including but not limited to the prohibitions against (1) judging others lest you be judged, and (2) bearing false witness against one's neighbors by knowingly disseminating fraudulent scientific "expert" opinion on gays as do Focus on the Family, Family Research Council, The Family Foundation, and other "Christian" organizations. My Christian belief may be very different than yours - and probably is far more frightening since it does not have nice little boxes one checks off to confirm in one's mind that they are "saved" - but, in my view, it requires an even stronger faith in God. Yes, I did have to leave the denomination of my baptism because of its viciousness toward gays and lesbians. But fortunately, I found a Christian denomination that does not presume that it knows all of God's plans, mysteries and intentions.

Please consider that the self-hatred and self-loathing induced by those with rigid religious views that reject advances in medical and mental health knowledge are incredibly destructive. The myth perpetuated by certain fundamentalist elements within religions -e.g., fundamentalists both among Islam and Christianity - that one's sexual orientation is a "choice" and something that it can be changed makes the pain all the greater to countless individuals. I knew two exceptional men who killed themselves when all their attempts to "change" failed. Check out this web page if you have not ever seen the actual positions of the leading medical and mental health associations in this country:
http://www.anythingbutstraight.com/learn/exopinion.html As one who spent 37 years trying to change, throwing myself into religion and daily prayer and daily church attendance, I understand how these two individuals felt and know just how much this pernicious myth can destroy people's lives. You might likewise read the column at this web address for a compelling description of what I consider to be a far too wide spread form of child abuse in this country:
http://rjr10036।typepad.com/proceed_at_your_own_risk/2006/09/every_so_once_i

.html

I wish you well in your future endeavors and hope you find a position that meets all of your requirements. I also hope that my thoughts may prompt you to ponder some of the issues I have raised."

If it had been published before my response, I would also included a reference to the April 10, 2007, New York Times article that discusses the evidence that increasingly shows that sexual orientation is biological and not a “choice” as is so disingenuously put out by “Christian” bigots who, apply the standard used on Don Imus, should be banned from the air waves: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/10/health/10gene.html?n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fW%2fWade%2c%20Nicholas&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1176572691-JzkC/4crNluqGV6zd4mrkA

Great Piece on the Ultimate Form of Child Abuse

I came across this column on a blog named "Proceed at Your Own Risk" which, although I did not grow up in a true fundamentalist home, the column aptly describes what growing up gay (and in the closet) was like in conservative areas. Every religious denomination that refuses to give gays full inclusion, in my view, continues this type of mental and psychologiacal abuse, to this very day. I find it very hard to believe Christ would condone such brutality.

AMERICA'S ULTIMATE HATE CRIME
Every so once in a while I allow myself to consider the nightmare existence of a queer child growing up with religious fundamentalist parents. The thought of it is so painful that I need to keep it mostly compartmentalized and in the back of my mental and emotional closet.
It's an aspect of the world of homophobia and fundamentalist religion that we very much ignore. For many reasons, it's the forgotten stepchild of gay activism, child care services and the mental health profession.

But the obvious fact is that there are thousands of these kids living in a hell on earth as they fight their way through childhood.

I can think of few other situations that have the potential to engender such a relentless and pervasive environment of psychological and possibly even physical child abuse. Generally speaking we do not do a good job of handling child abuse in this nation but when it come to gay kids the picture is even bleaker. The ratio of gay kids to straight kids among runaways, child prostitutes and suicides, well documented by the CDC, makes this painfully clear.
Long before a child develops self-awareness of his or her own sexual orientation, he is trained to believe that homosexuality is an abomination and a perversion that is a threat to the American way of life.

In a fundamentalist religious environment, he is told that homosexuality threatens the American family and the sacred institution of marriage. He is told that homosexual activists and their agenda are leading the charge in a war against Christianity. The homosexuals are the enemy.

This young and impressionable child learns that the Bible, the absolute word of god and truth, clearly states that homosexuals are an abomination and that their sin is punishable by death.
And then, worst of all, he learns that homosexuality is a choice made by sick and evil people and that to make this choice is a very bad and wicked thing. But then nature takes its course and at some point the gay child realizes that he's "chosen" homosexuality. He doesn't remember being asked. He doesn't remember checking off that particular choice on any application. And he searches through the mail for the recruitment brochure, but it isn't to be found.
Somehow, somewhere along the way, he has made this monumental, life-changing and life-shattering choice, against his will and against the will of god.
No problem, he thinks, he'll just chose otherwise until he one day realizes that he can't. Try as he might, the gay just won't go away, along with the color of his skin and the texture of his hair.
His intellectual and emotional energies become singularly focused on changing that choice but to no avail. He turns up the engines and works hard to hide his nature. Self-hatred begins to rip open his guts. Childhood innocence and joy are not part of his experience. He lives in a state of constant dread and anxiety, fearing exposure or worse.
It's an exhausting and soul-crushing childhood. While other children are looking to the future with hope, he lives in a world of despair, pain and fear. While other children are considering ballerina, doctor, astronaut or fire fighter, the gay child's energies are focused on hiding his or her true self. The boy dreads his first fake sexual encounter: will he be able to perform? The girl worries less, she will just turn away and cry and wait until it's over.
Many ex-gays believe that the origins of homosexuality are to be found in an abusive childhood. Their logic is flawed but their childhoods were likely abusive. Many of them come out of strict Christian homes. Growing up gay in a strict fundamentalist Christian home most likely oftentimes means a battering patten of abuse, certainly verbal and sometimes physical. Many of these parents likely steam roll over the self-esteem and self-confidence of these children as they struggle to make "her" more feminine and "him" less of sissy.
Protected by a very misguided notion of religious freedom, fundamentalists of all sorts are allowed by our society to engage in the ultimate hate crime, a pervasive and monstrous form of child abuse that will one day be seen by social historians and anthropologists as a very barbaric and grotesque aspect of the American civilization.
Sexual orientation is not a choice, but our society's willingness to tolerate this terrible treatment of children is a choice and a choice that should make us all ashamed. We will be judged harshly by future generations as we are already judged by more evolved societies on the other side of the Atlantic.

When slavery, the oppression of women and child labor were recognized for what they were, modern nations changed. When certain Biblical practices including the stoning to death of adulterers were recognized for what they were, modern nations changed.
And when the abuse of homosexual children was recognized for what it was, modern nations changed--tragically we were not among them.
Freedom of religion was designed to protect people from oppression and persecution. Instead, in 21st Century America, "freedom of religion" is used to do great harm to millions of Americans, including many of our children who are unable to defend themselves, their psyches and their hearts.

"Freedom of religion" should not, in my opinion, be used to excuse behavior that violates sound practices and standards that are based on science, morality and ethics. Further, "freedom of religion" should not exempt people from laws governing discriminatory practices, mental health care, child care and child protection.

If we allow religious beliefs to justify human degradation and oppression, we reduce our constitution to nothing but an old piece of paper.

Homosexuality is common throughout hundreds of animal species and every scientific measure that has been used thus far has confirmed over and over again that this is about nature and not nurture. Of course, people who act exclusively on faith and belief rather than on fact and reason will never be convinced of this. The facts are that dinosaurs and unicorns did not miss the Ark and gay children did not chose to be who they were born to be.

But the question that seems to plague us at every turn these days is whether we are to be a nation of fact and reason or a nation of people packed and ready to jump on the Rapture bus?
In the meantime, suffer the little children.