jwll:
Contrary to myth, Christianity’s concept of marriage has not been set in stone since the days of Christ, but has constantly evolved as a concept and ritual.
Prof. John Boswell3, the late Chairman of Yale University’s history department, discovered that in addition to heterosexual marriage ceremonies in ancient Christian church liturgical documents, there were also ceremonies called the “Office of Same-Sex Union” (10th and 11th century), and the “Order for Uniting Two Men” (11th and 12th century).
These church rites had all the symbols of a heterosexual marriage: the whole community gathered in a church, a blessing of the couple before the altar was conducted with their right hands joined, holy vows were exchanged, a priest officiatied in the taking of the Eucharist and a wedding feast for the guests was celebrated afterwards. These elements all appear in contemporary illustrations of the holy union of the Byzantine Warrior-Emperor, Basil the First (867-886 CE) and his companion John.
Such same gender Christian sanctified unions also took place in Ireland in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, as the chronicler Gerald of Wales (‘Geraldus Cambrensis’) recorded.
Same-sex unions in pre-modern Europe list in great detail some same gender ceremonies found in ancient church liturgical documents. One Greek 13th century rite, “Order for Solemn Same-Sex Union”, invoked St. Serge and St. Bacchus, and called on God to “vouchsafe unto these, Thy servants [N and N], the grace to love one another and to abide without hate and not be the cause of scandal all the days of their lives, with the help of the Holy Mother of God, and all Thy saints”. The ceremony concludes: “And they shall kiss the Holy Gospel and each other, and it shall be concluded”.
Another 14th century Serbian Slavonic “Office of the Same Sex Union”, uniting two men or two women, had the couple lay their right hands on the Gospel while having a crucifix placed in their left hands. After kissing the Gospel, the couple were then required to kiss each other, after which the priest, having raised up the Eucharist, would give them both communion.
Records of Christian same sex unions have been discovered in such diverse archives as those in the Vatican, in St. Petersburg, in Paris, in Istanbul and in the Sinai, covering a thousand-years from the 8th to the 18th century.
The Dominican missionary and Prior, Jacques Goar (1601-1653), includes such ceremonies in a printed collection of Greek Orthodox prayer books, “Euchologion Sive Rituale Graecorum Complectens Ritus Et Ordines Divinae Liturgiae” (Paris, 1667).
While homosexuality was technically illegal from late Roman times, homophobic writings didn’t appear in Western Europe until the late 14th century. Even then, church-consecrated same sex unions continued to take place.
At St. John Lateran in Rome (traditionally the Pope’s parish church) in 1578, as many as thirteen same-gender couples were joined during a high Mass and with the cooperation of the Vatican clergy, “taking communion together, using the same nuptial Scripture, after which they slept and ate together” according to a contemporary report. Another woman to woman union is recorded in Dalmatia in the 18th century.
Prof. Boswell’s academic study is so well researched and documented that it poses fundamental questions for both modern church leaders and heterosexual Christians about their own modern attitudes towards homosexuality.
For the Church to ignore the evidence in its own archives would be cowardly and deceptive. The evidence convincingly shows that what the modern church claims has always been its unchanging attitude towards homosexuality is, in fact, nothing of the sort.
Can I just leave this here? Thank you.
What have I been saying?
Fundies = disingenuous.
Furthermore, when the rite was removed from the liturgies, the arguments in favor of removing it were of a homophobic nature. The arguments were that it legitimized “unnatural acts”.
That really is an interesting book. :-) He also talks about pre-Christian same-sex unions in the Roman Empire, too, showing how they were seen as analogous to marriage.
*ollies outy*
December 2011
72 posts
Young, Black and Frisked by the N.Y.P.D. - NYTimes.com (via nickdouglas)
oh but we’re imagining racism. or so i’ve heard.
(via ethiopienne)
Jules Manson, a regular contributor to Ron Paul’s website and facebook, wrote in a facebook post, “Assassinate the f#@#en n-word and his monkey children.”
In unrelated news, Ron Paul is now the Republican frontrunner. That’s not a joke. He actually is.
( ) Because we have no social life.
( ) Because our friends don’t call us to get out.
(x) Because we are too sexy to the world outside & mere mortals don’t deserve to breathe the same air as we do.
Conservatives are fond of willfully ignorant statements like: Our tax dollars shouldn’t go to abortion, so Planned Parenthood should have its funding stripped. We all know this is a lie. The information to debunk this claim is widely and readily available. Aside from the three percent of PP’s budget that goes to abortion care (and that 3% is privately funded, duh), PP’s wide range of health care services includes:
- birth control
- emergency contraception
- checkups for reproductive and sexual health problems
- gynecological exams
- pregnancy tests and pre-natal care
- routine physical exams
- checkups for reproductive or sexual health problems
- colon cancer screening
- erectile dysfunction services, including education, exams, treatment, and referral
- jock itch exam and treatment
- male infertility screening and referral
- premature ejaculation services, including education, exams, treatment, and referral
- routine physical exams
- testicular cancer screenings
- prostate cancer screenings
- urinary tract infections testing and treatment
- vasectomy
- anemia testing
- cholesterol screening
- diabetes screening
- physical exams, including for employment and sports
- flu vaccines
- help with quitting smoking
- high blood pressure screening
- tetanus vaccines
- thyroid screening
- STD testing, treatment, and vaccines
So conservatives: tell me again why Planned Parenthood’s funding should be eliminated?
This is a statement one often sees in debates regarding equality.
It’s a retort used by people of colour, gender and sexuality minorities or women, or a member of some marginalized group to tell a person who doesn’t belong to that particular marginalized group to, well, fuck off.
This statement does bother me however.
See, it’s somehow implied with this statement that a person outside of a marginalized group is not allowed or completely unable to form or have an opinion on any matters concerning that group. At least if their opinion differs from the person using this retort.
Honestly, I do and don’t agree.
I do agree that you can’t know what it’s liked to be X, unless you are X, but at the same time, I do not believe that being X is a complete prerequisite to having “any” opinion what so ever on anything that has anything to do with X.
Another thing that bothers me ‘bout this statement is that it’s thrown around as an insult.
We (those that belong to marginalized groups) keep telling people “privilege isn’t an insult, it’s a comment on the fact that your general status in society is better than ours due to the fact that you don’t get discriminated against over this factor” and then people turn around and go “aww, your fee-fees”… er… using “fee-fees” instead of “feelings” is talking down to people as if they were infants, that alone is an insult. Telling people that this isn’t about them brushes them off as “of zero importance” and lets face it, all oppression is interconnected and all human life is interconnected, equality is like an organized queue, if everyone is equal, then that affects everyone, not just those who’re currently marginalized. Telling people to “sit down and shut up” is valid in many cases, but at the same time it brushes people’s thoughts and opinions off as of utterly zero worth or value.
It is most commonly used whenever someone uses “I disagree”, but I’ve even seen it thrown at someone who agrees and then I couldn’t help but to get irked. A straight cisman agreed that trans people should be allowed to be themselves and lesbian transgirl told him that it wasn’t about what he thought or felt and so he should shut up and listen to trans folk….
Seriously, it just comes off as a dick move.
There’s also the whole, “it doesn’t address anything” thing…
Now, I know this could just be me, but I’m the sort where I can’t just go “no” without offering a reason.
This comment, it’s not a reason, it’s just “you’re not like me enough for me to acknowledge or comment on your statement in any way so fuck off”.
There’s no “here’s what you got wrong”, there’s no “this is what was said”, there’s nothing offered in way of actual communication, just “fuck off”.
And lastly….
This is usually on the internet where I see this… On “public” forums… Like Tumblr.
A place where my right to speak my mind on whatever I want to speak my mind about is the same as your right to speak your mind on whatever you want to speak your mind about.
You know, My posts are just as allowed as yours, even if my posts would be so ignorant it hurts to read them, I’m still allowed to make them just as much as you’re able to do the same. And I’m allowed to post the most eloquent, irrefutable, logically sound pieces of poetically infused awesomeness, and so are you. All these posts, the most ignorant post and the most beautiful post, they’re both equally allowed. (AS LONG AS THEY DON’T VIOLATE THE TOS!)
So when people start telling other people to “shut up” they’re telling other people that their posts aren’t “allowed”.
Sorry, but you aren’t the owners of Tumblr, you don’t “make” the rules here, you can’t just go ‘round telling people what they can and can’t post or can and can’t comment on.
You can reply to them and your reply is just as allowed as theirs, and they can reply to you, and their reply is just as allowed as yours, but you just don’t have the authority to tell a person whether or not they’re “allowed” to comment on any topic.
*yawn*
I’m tired, my mouth hurts, I’ma go get coffee now…
Do what you have to do sweetheart xx Hope you have a fantastic Christmas xxx
xoxo you too!
I’m sorry, but I just can’t keep up, so I have to take some ppl off my watch list.
It’s not personal and I’m trying to take off ppl who I haven’t talked to a lot.
This doesn’t mean I don’t like you guys anymore, it just means I just can not keep up!
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/11/981112075159.htm
ScienceDaily (Nov. 12, 1998) — Many studies have identified a strong link between suicide and diagnosable mental illness, especially depression. So because women suffer from depression at a much higher rate than men, they would seem to be at higher risk for suicide. But women actually commit suicide about one-fourth as often as men.
I’d forgotten about this statistic. Stereotypes of men being strong mean that they are expected to work harder in most intense conditions for longer hours and retire later, leading to much greater stress and an early death. They are more likely to be killed at work, because they are stereotyped as strong. They are more likely to be murdered, because they are stereotyped as strong. They are more likely to kill themselves, because they are stereotyped as strong. On top of this, millions of them have been sent out to die throughout history in wars, because they are stereotyped as strong.
“Ah, but sexism can’t hurt men, because all it says is that they are strong”.
Don’t be naive. Every stereotype has advantages and disadvantages. Being seen as strong might seem good from a simplistic view, but it can be fatal. In the media we either glorify violence against men or we laugh at it, because they are stereotyped as strong. In the courts we overconvict male defendents and underconvict those with male victims, because they are stereotyped as strong. In everyday life we expect men to sacrifice their comfort, health, finance, and even their lives to protect women, because they are seen as strong.
In all of these areas, being seen as weak is a privilege for women. Stop saying ‘ah but sexism can’t benefit women, because all it says is that they are weak’. Don’t be naive. Being seen as weak saves women’s lives on a daily basis, and men are killed instead. Please go and tell their families that this was a privilege. Every stereotype has advantages and disadvantages. Think about it.
One of the most dangerous ways Homosexuality invades family life is through popular music. Parents, please keep careful watch over your children’s listening habits. Especially in this age of Internet mp3 piracy.
There are multiple levels of Gay Music. Some bands are what we like to callGateway Bands. They lure children in with Pop Grooves and Salacious Melodies leaving them wanting more. They’ll move on to more dangerous bands and the next thing you know you’ve got a homosexual for a child.
Bands to watch out for
We’ve taken the time to highlight the bands that are particularly Gay. Please take the time and dissect your child’s CD / iTunes catalog. If you find 3 or more of these bands in their collection it is time to take action.
We Strongly recommend that you burn the CDs. Make sure your child is watching. Make sure they can feel the heat. It is crucial that the image remains emblazoned in their young minds. They need to know that if they continue to listen to these bands they may Burn eternally as well.
- Lady Gaga (tricks girls into lesbianism)
- Ween (Rainbow)
- Lil’Wayne
- P!nK (gay family)
- The Black Keys
- Coldplay
- SlipKnot (make-up)
- RadioHead
- Michael Jackson
- Justin Bieber (gay bullying)
- Boredoms
- School of Seven Bells (gay twins)
- Jason Mraz
- Jonas Brothers
- Rilo Kiley
- Death Cab for Cutie
- Sarah McLachlan
- George Strait
- Cold War Kids
- Toby Keith (cowboy)
- P-Diddy
- Black People
- Vampire Weekend
- King Crimson
- Kate Bush (kissed a girl)
- Bob Dylan
- Fleet Foxes
- Sigur Ros (nudists)
- Twisted Sister
- The Spores (endorse suicide)
- Scissor Sisters
- Turbonegro
- Rufus Wainwright
- Merzbau
- Ravi Shankar
- The Butchies (lizbians)
- Wilco
- Bjork (mb)
- Tech N9ne
- Ghostface Killah
- Bobby Conn
- Morton Subotnik
- Cole Porter
- The String Cheese Incident
- Eagles of Death Metal
- Polyphonic Spree
- The Faint
- Interpol
- Twisted Sister (jj)
- Tegan and Sara
- Erasure
- The Grateful Dead (drugs too)
- Le Tigre
- Marilyn Manson (dark gay)
- The Gossip
- The Magnetic Fields
- The Doors
- Phish
- Queen
- The Strokes
- Morrissey(?questionable?)
- Metallica
- Judas Priest
- The Village People
- The Secret Handshake
- The Rolling Stones
- David Bowie
- Frankie Goes to Hollywood
- Man or Astroman
- Richard Cheese
- Jay-Z
- Depeche Mode
- Kansas
- Ani DiFranco
- Fischerspooner
- John Mayer
- George Michael (texan)
- Angel Eyes
- The Indigo Girls
- Velvet Underground
- Madonna
- Elton John
- Barry Manilow
- Indigo Girls
- Melissa Etheridge
- Eminmen
- Nirvana
- Boy George
- Jon Brion
- The Killers
- Lou Reed
- Lil’ Wayne
- Motorhead
- Jill Sobule
- Wilson Phillips
- DMX
- Wesley Willis
- Lisa Loeb
- Ted Nugent (loincloth)
- Dogstar
- Thirty Seconds to Mars
- Lil’ Kim
- kd lang
- Frank Sinatra
- Hinder
- Nickleback
- Justus Kohncke
- Bob Mould
- Clay Aiken
- Arcade Fire
- Bright Eyes
- Corinne Bailey Rae
- Audioslave
- Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Panic at the Disco
- The Cure (makeup)
- Spin Doctors
- The Deers
- Lindsey Lohan
- The Smiths
- Beck
- Tom Waits
- The Cramps
- Cannibal Corpse
- Britney Spears(kissed Madonna)
- Perfect Sin
- The Queers
- NoFx(gay punk)
- Soup Dragons
- Elton John(really gay)
In Our effort to keep this list up to date we’d appreciate your help. If you know of a band that is Gay or propogating a Gay message please email us so we can update. Donnie is handling this his email is: DonnieDavies@gmail.com
The response is overwhelming. You guys know of a lot more Gay Bands than I do. I can’t keep up. Hopefully soon we’ll have it so you can add them by yourself.
… I don’t even know what to say.
fml
^ no they can’t. reblogging and praying can’t do anything to help, and i hate how that’s always tumblr’s reaction to crisis. oh, should we find a way that we can make donations to perhaps actually help these people? no, we’ll reblog a post.
I know that you all are being well meaning and all, but if you want to help the Philippines (and if you have the money) you can donate to
here (STC is particularly good because they are non religious affiliated and 80c to every dollar goes back to the actual cause which is a pretty big thing if you compare it to other charities)
Uhm, I’ll think of some more to add, but if you have any others, please do add away
Also Doctors Without Borders, one of my favorite charities :)
I have a friend who lives there with his partner of a few years and they’ve spent all their money on food and water and taken in all the house-guests they can fit into their home (Which happened to be almost the only dry home in their area!) and if you want to help them you can send ‘em a little something through pay-pal to skorrdal (at) gmail.com.
(it comes up as “something publishing” as he’s using his company’s paypal but I know this man personally and if you know me at all you know that I wouldn’t post this forward if I didn’t sincerely believe that every cent would go towards helping out people in their area.
The Star-Tribune reports:
In an effort to promote the passage of the marriage amendment to the state’s Constitution, Twin Cities Archbishop John Nienstedt wants Catholics to recite a special prayer during mass. He’s also urging area Catholics “to embrace Fridays as a particular day of prayer and sacrifice for the success of this most current struggle to defend marriage with our civil constitution. Without such deliberate prayers and sacrifices, our efforts will be in vain. But with God, all things are possible.”
“Much rides on the success of our struggle to defend marriage,” according to Nienstedt, who made the comments in a letter posted on the archdiocese’s website. It’s the latest effort by Minnesota church leaders urging Catholics to support passage of the proposed amendment, which calls for a ban on gay marriage. This fall, the state’s Catholic bishops took the unusual step of directing parish priests across the state to form committees to help get the marriage amendment passed by voters in November 2012.Dear Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis,
I would like to direct you to Matthew 7:3-5 as you seem to be forgetting that this exists in your Bible:
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
So there’s nothing in your house that needs to be cleaned up? Good; then lets focus on all the other shit that’s going on in your religion firsts. Then and only then might I take your letter seriously.
That is all.
~ Kim
BBC - The report by an independent commission said Catholic officials had failed to tackle the widespread abuse at schools, seminaries and orphanages.
But the report also found that one in five children who attended an institution suffered abuse - regardless of whether it was Catholic.
“This episode fills us with shame and sorrow,” said a bishops’ statement.
The commission, which began work in August 2010, sought to uncover what had gone on and how it had happened, and examined what kind of justice should be offered to victims.
It was triggered by allegations of abuse at a Catholic school in the east Netherlands, which prompted other alleged victims to come forward.
It studied 1,800 complaints of abuse at Catholic institutions, identifying 800 alleged perpetrators, just over 100 of whom are still alive.
It also conducted a broader survey of more than 34,000 people, to gain a more comprehensive picture of the scale and nature of abuse suffered by Dutch minors.
The report estimates that 10,000-20,000 minors were abused in the care of Catholic institutions between 1945 and 1981, when the number of Church-run homes dropped. In the years between 1981 and 2011, several more thousands suffered at the hands of priests and others working for the Church.