Did you hear?

[Belle RoseParticipant]

It looks like Mr. “I kissed dating goodbye” has kissed Christianity goodbye:

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/07/29/us/joshua-harris-divorce-apology-scli-intl/index.html?r=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F

And he has apologized and denounced his old position on how he treated the LGBTQ+ community.

I wonder what people here think of that? Do you think his remorse and apologies are enough? Do you believe him and think he is sincere? Do you think that prominent Christian leaders that reversed their position later in life should be let off the hook for their hurt they may have caused….Particularly when it comes to their bigotry….

[_Robert_Participant]

I’ll tell you I have plenty of doubts about atheist/rationalist leaders I “looked up to” as well. How awesome is it when people who helped you grow turn out to be ass-wipes. It really sucks. There is always a fucking curtain. Even in the scientific community.

 

[JadeBlackOliveParticipant]

Making a remorseful apology is fine, but it’ll never be enough to clear the damage to lives.

[Glen DParticipant]

@ivy

 

Well, I’m stunned. Can’t  imagine how hard that must have been for him. I’m in no position to judge him, or anyone else.

Few people ever change that much. I’m left wondering what on earth happened in the guy’s life?  An epiphany of some kind.(?) A visit by the holy spirit perhaps ?

If his previous views were held in god faith, he has nothing for which to apologise .

One the face of it, he has behaved in an honest and honourable way. Seems too good to be true.

 

[DavisModerator]

It’s funny how absolutely outraged (and probably violated) he felt when three gay guys checked him out. It seemed to make him furious and he wants people to sympathise with him. Most straight men who get checked out or hit on by gay men have a fairly similar experience. And yet they often show an absolute indifference or amusement by people on the street cat calling women and comments at work (sometimes pretty vile) and even light touching frequently saying “what’s the big deal…it’s just interest…you should be flattered”. And then it happens to them. And the kind of hissy fits that some throw over it are absolutely epic including violence against the LGTB men who hit on them. Several have resulted in murders and in a few cases in the USA and New Zealand, the murderer got off from 2nd degree murder and instead on involuntary manslaughter because of “gay panic”. That’s right. The men were so horrified at getting hit on by a gay man that what came afterwords was mostly responsible due to his terrified traumatic emotional state. This includes a man walking away, coming back a few minutes later, bashing the gay man over the head with a guitar (to death) and then shoving the broken guitar handle down his mouth. Got off with a light sentence. There is absolutely no law anywhere that allows the same thing with women. Self defence…yes (for both genders). Emotional over reacction? No. The only laws as such exist are in a few countries strictly about straight men being hit on by gay men (gay panic laws). Another case of double standards that highly illustrate the difference between perception and indifference on one side and the reality and reaction on the other side. If I had the money I’d pay some butch biker LGTB guys to go hit on a bunch of construction workers who spend all day saying really nasty trash to passing women. I’d film it and probably make a very nice youtube video out of it.

[Reg the Fronkey FarmerModerator]

A genuine apology is a good step in the right direction. I accept he is being sincere. But if he wants to help put things right and to stop more Christians from denying other people their human rights then he should explain how he came to be involved in promoting hate speech. He should explain that it was his childhood Christian indoctrination that made him such a person. He should write another book to explain how, as Hitchens put it, religion poisons people into believing such vulgar nonsense. What is it about taking things on faith (on the word of self-appointed pastors) that turns normal people in hate filled spiteful morons?  If he does this then maybe he can help others to lose their god delusion too and in turn become better people.

Then he could give all of the proceeds of the new book to an LGBTQ organization that helps young people who are being bullied by Christians, especially the most vulnerable teenagers who can commit suicide because of the tacit license pastors like him have given to Christians who then feel it is their duty to discriminate against the LGBTQ community.

I know Christians can think they are forgiven when they apologize and ask for forgiveness but as a non-Christian I think an apology is not worth the paper it is written on unless it is followed up by an atonement equal to the crime. Spreading lies that inspire crimes against humanity take more than an apology. But he has at least taken the first steps so some kudos to him for that. Now that he is no longer as deluded as he was he should be able to reflect on what made him such a hateful person.

[DavisModerator]

+1 Reg

[_Robert_Participant]

If you want to hear great music around here go to the gay bar. The one time I think I got hit on, I took it as a compliment. I have heard some guys say they would kill a faggot if one hit on them. These are usually the guys I took to be a little on the gay side. I wonder how many of these intense gay haters are probably repressed deniers.

[Reg the Fronkey FarmerModerator]

Years ago I went to a gay bar with some friends. I got “lucky” when a girl picked me up. The last thing I was expecting. Later I asked her how did she know I was not gay? She looked at me as if I asked a really stupid question (because I had just asked her a really stupid question) “I think maybe it might have been the denim jeans and T-shirt with running shoes and just about the only one (apart from her) that with no interest in dancing to a floor filler”. No shit Sherlock! We met a few more times in the gay bar. The house (rave) music is always good.

[Reg the Fronkey FarmerModerator]

This bishop is back in the news because he has discovered he has the superpower of being able to smell “the gay” in people as they pass by. I reckon his beard tickles.

[Glen DParticipant]

There is a popular  myth that Aussies have finely tuned gaydar.

Being still a very homophobic country, it’s probably more a mater of some people suspecting everyone as gay until they prove otherwise.

I seem to remember there were a lot of lesbians around when I was a teen. I  would go to  a 60/40 dance and ask a girl to dance. I was turned down quite often. Such girls were obviously lesbians. I mean what other reason could there possibly be for refusing to dance with me?  I mean, I and  was freshly showered, with deodorant, had splashed on Brut 33, and had breath freshener.**

** Disclaimer; no, I didn’t actually believe that. It’s just what  passed for humour at that age. Today, at 70+, I find I don’t waste my time worrying about  the sexual preferences of others. Part of that is due to age and diminished hormones, and perhaps a little increased sensitivity. The other part is because I have a pretty accurate idea of my chances of hooking up, with anyone.

The Ad below gives a’flavour’ of the times.

 

 

• This reply was modified 5 years, 7 months ago by  Glen D.

[_Robert_Participant]

I have an interesting business acquaintance I have known for years. I’ll run into to him at a restaurant and his table is obviously all gay couples and he looks like a third wheel. Other times he’s with a lady and they appear to be romantic. He will mention a hot guy and then 20 minutes later say he is engaged to a blonde babe, “check out her photo on my phone.” I think he is attracted to fun people in general.

[DavisModerator]

Yeah. 95% of guys who say they are bi are totally utterly gay and in denial. There are however a handful of true bis or pansexuals or you name it out there. I’m pretty jealous to be honest.

[Glen DParticipant]

@davis

No need to be jealous.

Carl Jung asserted the labels used for sexuality;(hetero, homo, bi etc etc) are nonsense. That human beings are simply sexual, but that most have a strong preference.   I make no comment about the veracity of the claim. I simply mention it as  something I’ve come across.

 

Carl Jung (1875-1961) was a contemporary of Sigmund Freud. They did not get along.  It was Jung who coined the terms ‘racial archetype’ and’ synchronicity’ to explain perceived meaningful coincidences.  He also believed in poltergeists. He goes into some detail about his personal experiences with poltergeists in his Autobiography “Memories Dreams and Reflections” So perhaps take his claims with a pinch of salt.’

[physeterParticipant]

I’m totally with Reg on this, I think he’s going in the right direction. I also share Libby Anne’s frustration, though.

Josh Harris Is No Longer a Christian, but I’m Still Angry

I feel like he’s using me as his marketing stepping stool. Those books me says he’s reached millions with? He’s talking about I Kissed Dating Goodbye and its accompanying books, Boy Meets Girl and Sex Isn’t the Problem, Lust Is (originally titled Not Even a Hint). His documentary filmmaker experience? We discussed that above. TEDx speaker? That talk was also launched off his I wrote a best selling relationship advice book and then changed my mind drumbeat.

….
So pardon me if I’m somewhat taken aback that less than a year after this documentary came out Harris is suddenly no longer a Christian. Pardon me if I’m a bit taken aback that, less than a year after releasing a documentary where he once again affirms that sex before marriage is bad because it’s sin, Harris announces he’s no longer a Christian.

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like he could have held the documentary up for a bit while he straightened all this out in his own mind. It’s not like this is an important topic that has profoundly damaged people’s lives or anything.

But then, I’m still angry about spending my teenage years racked with guilt over having crushes on boys. Because let me tell you, that sucked. And guess what? I ultimately did have sex with my husband before we got married and it did not in any way harm our relationship. It’s almost like I spent the most impressionable decade of my life terrified that one little slip could ruin my future for no damn reason. So yeah, I might still be a just a little bit upset about that.

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