Prop 8

#&$##*%$*%#$&$#.

So close, and yet.

This isn't over.... and I have one more *major* Prop 8 rant coming after this one.

I still have hope that some day this piece of ... religious bigotry will be erased. Unfortunately we have to wait for most of the selfish, petty & closed-minded to die of old age.

Way to go people. Screw "Live and let live". Forget "Thou shalt not judge." Embrace "Hate thy neighbor" and save the children from your imaginary harms.

As if same gender parents is worse than being a child of divorce. Prop 8 perpetuates the need for conservative gay Californians to LIE and let themselves be wrongly trapped in straight marriages. Marriages that often fail years later.

I strongly believe that Churches deserve to lose their tax exempt status for pushing Prop 8.

Let that be next election's Prop 8, I'll rally for it.

8 = H8

Some random thoughts on Prop 8, the "marriage = 1 man + 1 woman, only" amendment to the California Constitution.

1) It is both sad and funny that this "Conservative Christian" initiative is being pushed by groups of people that statistically have HIGHER divorce rates than the educated/liberal/left people that oppose it.

2) Prop 8, in my opinion, is a massive violation of the 1st amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances

3) If marriage were only about sex, we'd call them honeymoons instead. Sex is a small part of marriage. It's about love, commitment, trust/fidelity, support, companionship/partnership, stability and growth. It is about society and government having recognition and respect for two people who have publicly declared that they have joined together, both legally and financially, with the goal of being together for life, and, if their beliefs support it, eternally.

4) Jesus warns that the kingdom of heaven does not await for people that engage in self-destructively immoderate behaviors like: pride, envy, drink, sex, greed, rage, idolatry, fraud, dishonesty, violence, cruelty, arrogance, folly, pandering, prostitution, hatred, ambition, discord, and the like.

A human is less likely to lose himself or herself in 'wicked' behavior when he is actively participating in a committed, caring and loving partnership, with a spouse that guides and relies upon him (or her). Because of this, I really do believe that Jesus may have had some essentially "pro-gay marriage" comments... but they were either omitted or edited out of the bible by people who were not ready to accept such unfashionable ideas.

"My Friends"

Time once again for "Fun with Photoshop" (click image to enlarge)

Ethereal Slate

Second Life update: A recent land deal with a virtual neighbor to my north, carefully co-ordinated with my virtual land trust 'silent partner' has concluded successfully, which has slightly more than doubled the territory where my creative impulses can run wild.

An excellent write up of the acquisition event (with snapshots!) is available at the Not Possible In Real Life Blog, courtesy of the incomparable Bettina Tizzy. =)

And further details at Prokofy Neva's "Second Thoughts" blog.

This purchase is certainly a non-trivial commitment... but one I'm happy with.

Religulous

Saw it. Funny... nothing new to me though. I've long been an Apostle of Uncertainty after all.

Bill's message kinda boils down to "This world isn't big enough for both Religion and WMDs". And neither one is likely to go away peacefully. He calls to the 16% of us "nonreligious" types to step up and get involved. (Shades of "We are all Indpendent!" there.)

And just how would a "Global War on Ignorance & Superstition" play out? Badly, of course.

As far as I can tell, Atheists place a HIGHER value on human life, especially their own. If there is no afterlife or re-incarnation, this one life is all each of us get. No do-overs, no 70 virgins, no St. Peter & the Pearly Gates, just compost filled with preservatives and no noble self-sacrifice can make that inevitability seem any more pretty.

No "Army of Reason" can survive long against the legions of people willing to kill and die for old words in old books. To have a fighting chance, they would have to pick up the tools of the enemy: To believe in their purpose so fervently that they're willing to kill and die for it. Sadly, we're past the point where we can safely fight fire with fire.

As a species and a planet, we're doomed.

There will always be people that will abuse belief to get others to fight for them, and we, as a society, glorify the instigators that are on "our side" and demonize the ones on "that side". When instead we should have a zero tolerance towards those that promote any kind of violence at all. We should collectively shun them, ignore them, disassociate ourselves with them. Of course, both sides of a conflict need to do that or it doesn't work. Which is why it never will.

Prop 8

Two of the best video's I've seen against Prop 8:

The Funny One:


The Serious One, which speaks directly to those "party line" types that are most likely to vote *for* Prop 8:

Debait

What a painful debate. The more I watch McCain the less I like him.