Paul Revere by Cyrus Dallin, North End, Boston

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Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Feel the love!





From The Denver Post:



 Family: Lakewood church refuses funeral service because woman was gay


"A Lakewood minister refused to hold a memorial service on Saturday for a mother of two at his church because the woman was gay, family and friends said Tuesday. 

 'Her casket was open, flowers laid out and hundreds of people sitting in the pews,' supporters said in a Facebook post. "He collected money for the funeral and has yet to return it." 

 Vanessa Collier was 33 when she died on Dec. 29, leaving behind her wife and children. 

'You will not find Jesus at New Hope but you will find hypocrisy,' said a sign carried at a demonstration outside the church Tuesday by about four dozen family members and friends."


There they go again! Gay people "shoving their lifestyle" in good Christians' faces!  Even when they're dead FFS! 

I'm pretty sure the Savior that pastor pretends to honor and love with great humility every Sunday would throw up copiously after hearing what he did.  Now wait for the usual "He's not REALLY a Christian!" as an excuse for this horrid treatment of a bereaved family.  

But all one has to do is visit some of the rabid extreme rightwing blogs to see that many religious conservatives would be in complete agreement with the ungodly pastor who committed this insult against all that is humanly decent.  I've read far too often the blatherings of hate-filled fanatics who see everything gay people do as a threat to their loving Christian way of life.

But wait!  There's even more Stupid:

  

National Guard Should Shoot Gay Couples In The Face, Politely Requests Homophobe 

36 comments:

Infidel753 said...

Loathsome. And they wonder why younger people are leaving Christianity in droves.

Dave Miller said...

Many from the right have already started the "free speech" defenses of Charlie Hebdo saying we must, at all costs defend freedom if the press and expression.

Sadly these same people, many if them claiming to also love God and follow Jesus, were not so quick a while back to support that view when it mocked Christianity.

If the church was not going to allow a free expression of love and sympathy at a funeral, they never should have said yes in the first place.

Josh said...

My first thought would be that a schmuck such as this would love to accept a lesbian service. He can flex his prayer muscles and ask his god to forgive the sin.

I guess hating the sinner is now part of the 195th interpretation this year.

For all loved ones involved, I'm just happy to hear he didn't stroll in with an ear piece claiming he could raise her from the dead with the healing powers of his faith.

On a semi-related note: Everyone coming down on this schmuck (as they should, probably) just remember that this is all that's needed for Christians--almost the lot of them--to be considered and typecast as "extreme," while others need to actually blow someone up to be considered in the same category, and until which time will be considered "moderate." lol A little perspective never hurt anybody.

(O)CT(O)PUS said...

So they pocketed the money and failed to deliver the goods? Hmmm, sounds like another con job.

Is this what a recent commenter meant by butthurt?

Les Carpenter said...

I gave up attempting to figure these folks out (devout holier than thou Christians); or ttying to change them.

Shaw Kenawe said...

No, all Christians are not like that pastor. There are more than a few who are examples of caring, loving, and decent human beings. Dave Miller is one of those Christians who actually practices what their Savior preached.

And those who routinely denigrate him when he does nothing more than politely express his opinion, those people are the ones who give humanity, never mind Christianity, a horrid reputation.

Dave Miller said...

Josh, I've thought about what you said about essentially judging all Christians by the behavior of a few, or even many.

Here's where i've come to in the last few days...

You are indeed correct. People are quick to judge the Christian church by it's worst elements, and extrapolate that to the larger body.

Certainly it is unfair to the great majority of people trying to live their religion as best they can.

But, and this is a big but because it strikes at the heart of the hypocrisy claim...

Many conservatives, and if polling is to be believed, this includes a great majority of the evangelical church in America, use this very same logic as it relates to people of Muslim faith.

Or, to put it more succinctly, when a minority of Muslims engage in terroristic behavior, we quickly hear, from conservatives, how all of Islam, and its followers are bad.

If conservatives do not wish to be judged by the bad apples in Christianity, those of the Westboro Baptist Church type, why do they persist in judging Islam by the Jihadi terrorists, in spite of numerous rejections of that type of behavior by Muslim leaders and clerics?

Here's a good example of that...

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-morrison-fadl-20150114-column.html#page=1

You are correct, a little perspective never hurts, but it cuts both ways...

Flying Junior said...

Right during the slide show while everybody was reminiscing!?! Incredible

BB-Idaho said...

Perhaps cynical, but that is one
funeral the Westboro Baptists did
not picket.

Dave Miller said...

BB... you're probably correct on both counts...

Decrepit Blowhard said...

I DEMAND that everyone here NOTICE ME! NOW! I have more wisdom in my pollex than the lot of you have in your coccyxes. And may I REMIND YOU all how superior I am.

Now run along you silly, inconsequential little rustics. I feel a poem coming on.

Decrepit Blowhard said...


Poem To Myself As I Gaze With Wonder In My Mirror

Ocean breeze gently blowing that silky hair
Your seductive sway, sauntering over here
Those rich red ruby lips, soft, supple and sweet
Day dreaming of the time we'll forever meet

Those deep passionate eyes, batting at me
Gazing into my soul, looking to set me free
That pretty little mouth, sprinkling pixie dust
Giving me all my heart, my head, my lust

That silky smooth skin glistening in the light
That first nervous "hi," making things feel right
Your playful giggle, laughing at all my jokes
When I touch my arms, those precious strokes

I am you and you are me and this time will be always be ours
My heart beatiing as one, our minds in the stars
--D.B.

Josh said...

Sure, perspective cuts both ways.

But there's also a difference in a paper cut and having your head cleaved from shoulders by a machete.

That religions insist the other is wrong or bad is certainly nothing new. Does anyone truly expect that a Christian would have kind, loving words for Islam? The two religions make the Hatfields and McCoys seem like a great second date.

Not saying it's not wrong to typecast all Muslims the exact same way, just that it's sort of expected at this point. How far do we demand only one of the religions come into the moderate light and out of the past?

Look at the standard we collectively hold Christians to in America, breaking their balls for even holding negative opinions about someone. Juxtapose that with the incredible lengths others have to go to in order to have their balls broken. And even then you'd be hard-pressed to get away with breaking balls without having yours kicked.

Shaw Kenawe said...

D.B., nice performance art. About that poem, I've never read anything quite like it.

Josh, people don't break Christians' balls for having a "negative" opinion, say, on gays. The anger comes from when certain religious people expect everyone to discriminate against gays just because their PARTICULAR sort of Christianity finds them sinful. Not all Christians are like that, nor people of the Jewish faith, for that matter. There are many Christian prelates and Jewish rabbis who welcome gays into their churches and temples, and marry them.

Howard Brazee said...

There's an easy answer to "What Would Jesus Do", as the scriptures describe Jesus Christ as someone who welcomes outsiders, unclean, sinners, and the poor - while arguing with the Righteous, and warning about how difficult it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

It's also easy to see who call themselves Christian to give an excuse for them promoting their values and condemning others' values.

Jesus Christ's values were very different.

Infidel753 said...

I'm going to re-post something I wrote after the Charlie Hebdo attack, because it seems particularly relevant to this thread:

We're already seeing some of the predictable reactions that bubble up from predictable quarters every time something like this happens. There are the Islam apologists pointing fingers of distraction in all directions, essentially saying "this, that, and the other thing are as bad or worse, so let's talk about that instead". They are trying to draw attention back toward problems originating within their own societies, which they feel more comfortable talking about, or to shut down discussion of the specifically Islamic nature of this particular atrocity.

You can see the same thing happening right here, as you see it almost any time some kind of evil or disgusting behavior is being discussed. "Oh, look over there, somebody else did something bad, so lets talk about that instead of what you posted about!"

Sorry, no. The Charlie Hebdo attack was an act of evil and terrorism and it deserved focused condemnation even though it was not the worst thing happening it the world. The actions of Pastor Chavez and the words of Randy Thomasson are disgusting and exemplify a sick strain of bigotry that remains potent in some troglodytic quarters of society. They too deserve focused exposure and condemnation even if somebody else somewhere is doing something worse.

Josh said...

I don't know. That Duck Dynasty fella wasn't telling everyone to rise up in anger against gays, was he?

What does it take for a Christian to be called an extremist in America? They don't have to hold signs like the Phelps' or refuse services to homosexuals. Wanting the Bible taught in school is enough to consider a Christian an extremist. Wanting "Merry Christmas" to be the standard greeting over the holiday season is enough to consider a Christian an extremist. Praying in school or wanting to start prayer groups is enough to consider a Christian an extremist. Being pro-life is more than enough to consider a Christian an extremist.

And I don't take issue with this, mind you. Just as folks love blurring lines on their selected enemies; e.g. the "right" claiming Obama a secret Muslim, as if it's everyone on the right. No. But it only happens on the right, so it's gravy, but that same latitude--the same inbuilt qualification--isn't given to others. That stuff is what it is. I was simply pointing out that there's another religion out there, that which shan't be named, where a person literally has to take lives before being thought in the extreme. Everything less is considered a moderate stance.

Odd, perhaps even frustrating, but true as the sky is blue.

Just some food for thought for folks who think group A might be digging into B a little too hard, or vice versa. But it is hamburger, and I might be in vegan territory. lol

Josh said...

"They too deserve focused exposure and condemnation even if somebody else somewhere is doing something worse."

One thing that makes humans unique is that we can process intelligently different pieces of information simultaneously in a rational manner.

Of course bigots on the Christian front deserve their own forum wherein they're scolded. But in the process of wagging one's finger at them, there's room for one of those "Isn't it odd..." segments which seeks to illustrate the different standards by which we judge what "extremism" is pertaining to religion.

We judge completely differently; it's demonstrable ad nauseum.

In America, we're a little on the spoiled side, and that should be pointed out, particularly when topics like these arise. This is about the extent to which our "extreme" religious nutzoids go, barring the exceedingly rare instance of an abortion doctor slain and suchlike. Yet heaps of Christians in America are considered to be "extreme" and thought of like this moronic pastor, when they're really only extreme relative to the direction which many secular-minded people would like to country to head; certainly not extreme relative to some other faiths, other parts of the world, or other periods in history.

While some might think it's off topic, others may appreciate, however unlikely, a viewpoint not their own. Though we know how that ends up: Not thy own, cast they asunder with brands of thy enemy, call it Trollsaurus.

Dave Miller said...

Josh, you brought up the term extremist...

While I disagree with what you say some might call extremism, I see where you're coming from.

But maybe you can help me, or us out on a related front.

Let's leave religion out of the discussion for a minute.

What views would a person from the right have to share, or hold to be considered and extremist by someone on the right, or conservative side of the aisle.

We've repeatedly tried to get a single more conservative blogger or commenter to even consider answering this.

Maybe you're different...

Shaw Kenawe said...

To try to get you to see what this discussion is about, Josh, I'll change a few words in your comment:

"Yet heaps of Muslims in America are considered to be 'extreme' and thought of like this moronic mullah..."

See? There are millions of Muslims in this country, yet they are judged as one kind of Muslim because of the murderous actions of the jihadists.

We do not judge every Christian by the behavior of the crazies that make the news.

Christians worldwide were not judged as murderous terrorists because of the slaughter committed for over 100 years by the Christians in the Ku Klux Klan.

Dave Miller said...

Further Josh, continuing on Shaw's point, Christians plead not to be judged by the worst of "us" because that taints our witness.

However, it is my experience that many conservative Christians who make that claim, refuse to extend that very courtesy to Muslims.

Why is that?

Les Carpenter said...


What views would a person from the right have to share, or hold to be considered and extremist by someone on the right, or conservative side of the aisle.

We've repeatedly tried to get a single more conservative blogger or commenter to even consider answering this.


It is quite simple to answer Dave, at least for me and I certainly am to the right of the regulars in this forum.

Most of the regulars @ "Who's Your Daddy", "Z's", Freethinke, and many @ "Libertarian Republican" to just name a few.

Just as there are rational and reasonable liberals so too are there rational and reasonable conservatives.

Now to my final point; IMO most people have both liberal and conservatives views. Seldom do people hold to one rigid unbending ideology whether it be right or left. Those folks are called extremist irrespective of political affiliation.

Josh said...

If there is a single progressive who visits here who would not categorize every single solitary Christian on the right-wing as "extreme," I'm a f'n astronaut.

And Dave, I've tried to make clear before that I cannot speak to these things. The hell if I know what goes on through these people's heads; and, sorry to disappoint, but I'm not a conservative, or a Republican, or religious, or anything else. I utterly refuse to align with a side.

My thoughts and stances are my own; I will not accept that my passions be given to me from some centralized location. I utterly refuse to view people who don't think as I do as an enemy. I won't sacrifice my character to choose a side. That's just how it is.

But if I had to guess what it would take someone on the right to consider "extreme" coming from someone else on the right, it would probably have to be that person going over to the left. That oughta do it.

Josh said...

Before I sleep, I wanted to try to actually answer this rather than just saying I don't know. I don't know, mind you; but as a skeptic, I have no trouble constructing a hypothesis.

"However, it is my experience that many conservative Christians who make that claim, refuse to extend that very courtesy to Muslims."

Perhaps there's a two-pronged answer here, which would include (a) the religious side and (b) the political side.

(a) It's no secret that monotheistic religions have given new meanings to words like violence, all in the pursuit of one-god domination. There's just something historical to the Christians V Muslims battle that seems to be ingrained in cultures. Plus it's no secret many Christians feel Islam is a ripped-off, rewritten version of their religion, only perverted, while many Muslims feel Jesus was one of Allah's prophets and thus void on the savior front. In other words, that hardcore Christians aren't physically harming Muslims is really surprising to me! That they only lump them together per attitude and verbal slander, allegedly, is tremendous progress, no?

(b) It can also get a little political on the chicken-or-egg front. I know many Christians who feel slighted in favor of Islam living in America. They speak about being discriminated against via prayer jerked out of school, the Times and other publications insulting Christianity, while they feel Muslims are given special treatment and liberals refuse to poke fun at them the same way. So it breeds resentment. Many Christians may feel their religious beliefs not only don't matter to America's elite, but also serve as a punching bag, whereas Islam is treated with kids gloves, objectively so, in every area from satire to political speeches given as ISIS beheads someone.

Though, in all seriousness, I hear from a lot of people that blaming all Muslims for the actions of a few is a huge issue, but who's doing this exactly? The fringe of a fringe? I know of no one in the mainstream actually saying that all Muslims are bad people. I don't know of any hashtag activists out there trying to paint all Muslims as terrorists. Who are these people? Where is it happening?

It seems more a meme than anything: Right-wing Christians think all Muslims are terrorists! Based on...? Something Hannity said one night? Was Limbaugh hopped up on meds again? lol I don't know.

Flying Junior said...

I agree that there are rational and reasonable conservatives. The country would be down the shitter in a fucking hurry if there were not. And you're probably right. Most Americans hold what might be considered both conservative and liberal beliefs. I certainly consider myself to be extremely conservative. Here's the real question???

How come there aren't any disgusting, sleazy, anti-intellectual left-wing trolls? Where is the liberal counterpart to these sub-humans?

(Not talking about you Josh. You seem alright for a misguided fellow.) Anyway, if you were a troll, would we even be talking to you?

Most of the readers here, (that care,) understand that I am a Christian and nobody has ever given me a hard time about it. Many Christians are liberal. Church makes a helluva lot more sense that way. My pastor is reading a book entitled, "The Bible Says Yes to Gay Marriage." Presbyterian churches already have gay ministers. I will admit that I'm pretty glad they didn't when I was a kid. Kids today don't really judge in the same way that we did. The funny thing is that even conservative, republican churches often do a lot of wonderful things. They're only guilty of handing out "Christian" voting guides. That and they do discriminate against gays. It's only been getting worse the last twenty years. Division and hatred are the order of the day.

And yes, there are churches that make a point of trying to understand Islam. Teach classes. Order books for their congregations. No, we don't believe that Islam is about hate and violence. What about Pope Francis praying in mosque? And yes it is okay to teach your children the Bible in Sunday school or private schools, but not in public school. It is fine to oppose abortion in your own family. It is wrong to impose your beliefs on others. It is also wrong to refuse health care to people based upon your own religious beliefs. And seriously, you're going to complain if somebody won't say, "Merry Christmas?" That's nuts man.

Shaw Kenawe said...

"If there is a single progressive who visits here who would not categorize every single solitary Christian on the right-wing as "extreme," I'm a f'n astronaut." --Josh


Well here are two words that will help you take one small step for Josh and one giant step for anyone else who believes that nonsense:

Dave Miller.

He's no extremist Christian, nor is President Obama, and he is often discussed on this blog without being called an "extremist" Christian.

You make the same mistake that a lot of aggrieved Christians make when they hear members of their religion criticized.

Not all Christians are extremists but more than a few extremists in this country are Christians.

What is an "extremist" in that context? IMO, someone who would use his/her religion to force EVERYONE to discriminate against any group of people for THEIR OWN religious reasons.

Another example issomeone, say, like Rick Santorum who has stated very clearly that birth control is a dangerous thing and he'd move to ban it should he gain the office of the presidency:

From Time Magazine:

"Rick Santorum gave an interview with an Evangelical blog called Caffeinated Thoughts, in which he said contraception is “not okay,” and that this would be a public policy issue he would tackle as President."


Extreme? Yes! Also, an extreme Christion would be someone who insists that this country has gone to hell because little kids don't recite Bible verses or Christian prayers in public schools, or someone who goes bonkers when he or she hears "Happy Holidays," instead of "Merry Christmas," or someone who insists that America is a Christian country. There are more white people (for now) in America than there are other colors, but we don't refer to ourselves as a "White" America, do we, so just because there are more Christians than there are other religions, we don't need to refer to ourselves as a "Christian" America, because that leaves out the millions of Americans who are not Christians or ANY religion.

Anyway, to get back to your point where you erroneously believe everyone on these boards thinks every Christian is an extremist --you are completely and utterly wrong in that belief.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Josh, Flying Junior pretty much covers the exact same territory I did. I hadn't read his comment before posting mine.

Josh said...

"And yes it is okay to teach your children the Bible in Sunday school or private schools, but not in public school. It is fine to oppose abortion in your own family. It is wrong to impose your beliefs on others. It is also wrong to refuse health care to people based upon your own religious beliefs. And seriously, you're going to complain if somebody won't say, "Merry Christmas?" That's nuts man."

For these to be the beliefs of a Christian conservative on the right-wing is most definitely the outlier.

No wonder you don't get a hard time. Have you ever heard of the identity of indiscernibles? What separates those beliefs from those of a left-leaning Christian?

And "Misguided."

In what way?

These are the same things I hear constantly from both the right and left. "Tunnel vision," "too conservative," "too liberal," "wrongheaded," etc -- though never any examples as to what one means.

And Dave is a conservative Christian? I had no idea.

And for left-wing trolls who get down in the muck and insult and inflame and just rile stuff up, maybe check out blogs like Bernie Goldberg's or even YouTube channels like Thunderf00t. They certainly exist.

"Anyway, to get back to your point where you erroneously believe everyone on these boards thinks every Christian is an extremist --you are completely and utterly wrong in that belief."

I guess it would be erroneous for me to believe that. Good thing I don't believe that.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Your words, Josh:

"If there is a single progressive who visits here who would not categorize every single solitary Christian on the right-wing as "extreme," I'm a f'n astronaut."

Here's my qualifier that I neglected to insert in my answer:

"Anyway, to get back to your point where you erroneously believe every PROGRESSIVE on these boards thinks every Christian is an extremist --you are completely and utterly wrong in that belief."

You're still wrong in your assertion.

Josh said...

Yet you're still missing my qualifier: Right-wing. That is to say, Christians who are like the Christians you're describing as extremists; Christians who make up Rick Santorum's base, Mitt Romney's base, W's base, etc. Christians who do get peeved when someone says "Happy Holidays" or who do believe their Bible should be taught in public school. Conservative Christians; the Christian right.

That's a far cry from just saying "Christians." That's an important piece of information that's being willfully ignored, now twice, in order to say I'm wrong.

If I'm wrong I'm wrong. Such is life. I've been wrong about plenty previous, and most likely a lot to come. But if I'm to be wrong, let me be wrong by the standard which I set with my own words; don't rewrite them to make me wrong.

If I'm wrong, then my stance doesn't need to become a straw-man to make it wrong. It can be wrong on its own merits.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Look Josh, I'm usually careful about qualifying my statements about Christians, conservatives, or any other group I discuss. Sometimes I slip up and forget to use qualifiers. People who have been coming to this blog since 2007 know that I dislike painting everyone with the same generalization brush.

I can't deal with someone who willfully misunderstands what is written just for the sake of arguing.

Josh said...

"I can't deal with someone who willfully misunderstands what is written just for the sake of arguing."

Like three times without acknowledging that my claim was that it's right-wing Christians and not just Christians?

I can feel your pain.

Dave Miller said...

Josh...

I'd like to try and bring this back to the topic, that of hypocrisy.

This in one of the primary issues facing the Christian Church today, if the research is to be believed.

People do not believe that many of the Sunday pew sitters are actually interested in living out their Sunday lifestyles the rest of the week.

For me, it seems like if I am going to believe in something to the extant that I identify with that particular tribe, my life should model that, as much as possible.

Now data shows that a great majority of white evangelical Christians identify with the GOP. In fact, this group makes up a huge part of their base. All one has to do is look at exit polling after any election to see this.

For folks like me, and I consider myself conservative in that I try and live Jesus' words, there are significant cringe moments when we hear and see the GOP responding to Dems and liberals.

The language, disgust, name calling is incredible.

Now before you think I am not aware that Dems and lefty's do this too, I am. But here's the difference, the left generally does not claim the God mantle. In a sense, theologically speaking, they are free to sin without guilt, or consequences.

How is it the Christian right feels it is okay, in the name of God, as I've heard some claim, to denigrate, demean and marginalize others?

How is this living out the Jesus of the Sermon on the Mount, or Paul's words in Philippians to "consider others better than yourself?"

Because they claim to love God and be Christians, they are judged by the jesus standard.

BTW, like you, I'm not a big fan of labels... while I consider myself pretty conservative theologically, others do call me a flaming liberal.

I fail to see how leaving a nice career, serving in another country, and trying to model Jesus daily in my walk makes me liberal, or in the eyes of some, not even a Christian.

But that's okay... that's their issue, not mine.

Josh said...

Dave, these questions are undoubtedly important, but I don't have answers.

One of the biggest reasons I never attempted to give the whole religion thing another go as it were: Some of the most hypocritical, nasty, self-righteous people I have ever encountered in my entire life claim to be "Christians" and wear their religion like a shield with which they can judge another, but don't you dare judge them. Only God can judge them!

Religious people have an incredibly long and sordid history of judging others to the point of demeaning them, exiling them, and even harming or murdering them.

There's something about the insecurity of faith that's always bugged me.

I believe I'm a somewhat intelligent, fair-minded individual who lives his life attempting to do what's right, who loves and cares for his family, and who attempts to treat people with respect. I realize this is very rarely returned in kind, but never does it cross my mind to hold someone my enemy simply because they don't believe in the things I believe in or hold the values I hold. I don't need to berate anyone or petition to have their existence expunged from my presence. I'm not that insecure about what I believe.

There are two areas in life--we all know this--where being a judgy twatcicle is pretty much not only accepted but actually encouraged: Religion and politics.

If there's any particular reasoning behind many Christians on the right judging and demeaning others, I would have to guess that they feel their make-believe, never-existed way of life is under attack. The Commies are coming! Marriage is stolen! The room's spinning...'cause of gayness.

But to quickly jump back to the original point I touched on as a simple aside: We do judge these types of Christians as extreme. They get a pass only from others in their group. From academia and popular entertainment to a swath of ideologies not on the right-side of the aisle, they are bottled up and accurately named. It's still acceptable to do such; we won't call it hate speech or racism or a "phobia" or anything similar.

Dave Miller said...

Josh, nice to hear from someone I reckon to more politically conservative than me.

Frankly, what you've expressed, is not what we've come to expect from folks.

Josh said...

Well, let's see if I can bottle up some of the political things I believe that make me "more conservative.":

- I'm against war
- I'm pro choice
- I'm not religious
- I'm a skeptic (in the true sense, not the atheist wagon-riding FTB, feminism sense)
- I'm a huge science proponent
- I'm actually for universal healthcare (it just scares me to have America's inept government in charge)
- I'm definitely for tolerance (across the board, not the fake shit like "tolerating" different races and sexualities but not ideologies)
- I don't typecast entire religions as anything (I just don't happen to believe that the majority of Islam is "moderate" -- only moderate relative to terrorism)
- I'm all for gay marriage, or plural marriage, or just for the government to get out of marriage
- I subscribe to climate change...up to the point of forever failed predictive models and the refusal to change anything but the predictive models
-

In other words, watch out! Y'all are dealing with a card-carrying, flag-waving member of the Tea Party here! lol

Things I reckon might make me conservative:

- I believe most of--not all--what we hear about "white supremacy" and "patriarchy" to be a myth -- a demonstrable myth
- I believe government's role in the lives of citizens should be severely limited
- I'd trust a for-profit company well ahead of a for-career politician 9 out of 10
- I'd like to see far, far, far less spending by government
- I'd like people to be judged as people and not by trivial happenstance of birth's topical factors like skin color, sexuality, etc; e.g. I don't subscribe to protected classes of victims
- I'd love it if government would get out of family life, particular as it pertains to the far and away female-favored family beefs in court

To progressives, I seem to be a Tea-baggin', Bush-lovin', Obama-hatin' rightie of the highest order. To the right, I'm a typical progressive in academia looking to brainwash their children.

I can't win, no matter where I go with my opinion. There's an asshat on every single board I visit making it their mission to goad me, to attempt to bully me, and to chase me away. It's the one constant: People try to tell me what I am.