Freethought 101- Argument from Reason

Let’s see…we have went through the Argument from Holy Scripture, and the Argument from Miracles…hmm…what’s next?  Oh yes!  The Argument from Reason is next in this session of Freethought 101.  Let’s take a look, shall we?

In 1998, Victor Reppert wrote an essay entitled “The Argument from Reason”.  In this argument, Mr. Reppert basically says that because humans have the abilities to think rationally, a god must SURELY exist.  This is one of the more CRAZIER arguments for the existence of god merely because of the shock and awe value of someone ACTUALLY believing that merely because we have reason, that folks can turn water into wine and walk across water!  That is a weak and petty mind AT BEST…but I digress….here is the argument in detail as laid out by Mr. Reppert:

“According to theism, the universe is a rational place because it is the creation of a rational being, namely God. Reason is, so to speak, on the very ground floor of reality. Given that God creates creatures, it is a least possible that God might wish to provide those creatures with the some measure of the rationality which God himself possesses. And human beings reflect God’s rational character by having the capacity think logically. If we make the further supposition that God has created human beings in such a way that they consist of both a soul and a body, we might be able to say that while the body’s activities are determined by the laws of physics, it is possible for human beings, through their souls, to perceive not merely physical activities in the environment, but logical and mathematical truths that apply throughout all that God has created. If someone in a theistic universe who had a spiritual as well as a physical nature were to reason were to reason to a conclusion logically, it might very well be that the person reached the logical conclusion because the conclusion follows logically from the premises, and not because the laws of physics mandated that the physical particles in the brain move to such and such places.”

Oh…where do I began with what’s WRONG with this!  I guess we’ll just start from the top.  The very first sentence of this senseless diatribe is a fallacy.  “The universe is a rational place because it is the creation of a rational being, namely God.”  Well, first off nobody has YET to prove that the Christian god, or some other god exists.  So, until that can be proven, this argument is null and void from the start.  And also…which “god” are we talking about?  Because the same theory that Mr. Reppert is trying to purport to defend Christianity, the same can be said about all the other world’s religions and gods.  But, we will keep going to cover all the bases.

Take a look here deeper into the argument:

“Given that God creates creatures, it is at least possible that God might WISH to provide those creatures with the same measure of the rationality which God himself possesses.  And human beings reflect God’s rational character by having the capacity to think logically.”

This is where Christians and theist alike always FAIL when it comes to them “proving” that God exists.  Anytime you start labeling something with “omni-traits” (omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, omnibenevolent) a logical fallacy occurs when you say this “omni-thing” can experience emotions.  Case in point.  Mr. Reppert asserts that God possesses rationality.  Well, what exactly is “rational”?  Rational is being able to think and process NEW information in the brain, which makes our bodies react accordingly.  The key here is NEW information.  A God who is omniscient (all-knowing) cannot have emotions.  The Bible says that God experiences all of the emotions of humans, including anger, sadness, and happiness.  We, as humans, experience emotions as a result of NEW knowledge.  A wife who had formerly been ignorant of her husband’s infidelity will experience the emotions of anger and sadness only AFTER she has learned what had previously been hidden from her.  A man who has been unemployed for a year and unable to provide for his family will experience the feeling of happiness only AFTER he receives notification that he has received a job offer.  It is through this “rational” experience that we as humans experience emotions.

In contrast, an omniscient (all-knowing) God is ignorant of nothing.  Nothing is hidden from him, and nothing new may be revealed to him, so there is no gained knowledge to which he may react emotionally.  Omnipotence (all-powerful) comes into play here too.  We, as humans experience anger and frustration when something is wrong that we cannot fix.  A God who is omnipotent (all-powerful) can fix anything.  We, as humans, experience longing for things that we lack.  A God who is perfect, omniscient, and omnipotent lacks for nothing.  It’s logically impossible for a omniscient, omnipotent, and perfect God to experience emotion.

But this gets even better!  Take a look a little deeper in to the argument…

“If we make the further supposition that God has created human beings in such a way that they consist of both a SOUL and a body, we might be able to say that while the body’s activities are determined by the laws of physics, it is possible for human beings, though their SOULS to perceive not merely physical activities in the environment, but logical and mathematical truths that apply throughout all that God has created.”

It never fails….anytime you start dabbling in the supernatural, nonsense and foolishness always occurs.  It is the year 2010.  We have all kinds of technology now.  X-rays, MRI, CAT-scans, ultrasound, infrared photography, oscilloscopes, spectrometers, pyrheliometers, colorimeters, and the list goes on and on.  Yet, we cannot detect this “invisible” soul.  Even the dictionary is involved in this “soul” madness:

Soul (sol) noun

1.  The animating and vital principle in human beings, credited with the faculties of thought, action, and emotion and often conceived as an immaterial entity.

2.  The spiritual nature of human beings, regarded as immortal, separable from the body at death, and susceptible to happiness or misery in a future state.

And see…this is what I’m talking about…taking stuff at FACE VALUE and not checking things out!  This “soul” business is a GIANT leap away from logic and reason, and yet we not even think to see if this is legit!  Take a look at this “animating and vital principle” we supposedly have that is often considered “immaterial”.  I just watched “Shutter Island” the other night (good movie by the way) and the word “lobotomy” comes to mind.  If you sever the nerve tracts (which are made of MATTER=MATERIAL) that exist in the frontal lobe of the brain (which certainly is MATERIAL) you have what is called a lobotomy.  This procedure turns humans into an almost vegetable state, with nothing animated or vital anywhere in sight.  That was the definition of “soul” right?

As for the “spiritual nature of human beings, regarded as immortal” can we say begging the question?  Again we have a definition assuming the existence of the very entity in question!  That’s like saying God is eternal…why?  Because the Bible says so.  And how do you know the Bible is true?  Because it is the word of God.  CIRCULAR ARGUMENT!  The same with “soul”…which leads to “immaterial” which brings you to “incorporeal” which brings you to “spirit” which completes the circle by bring you back to “soul”.  All these circles have me dizzy!

Not only can people not seem to FIND and locate and accurately define this invisible “soul”, people tend to tell you where these invisible “souls” are going to go after the body dies!  Heaven, hell, and let’s not leave out purgatory if you’re catholic.  These places are also invisible and undetectable by any human means.  Not only that, but no one who has ever died has come back to tell us how each one of them are, or given us any proof that either place exists.  There’s more proof out there for the Loch Ness Monster than I’m afraid is for the “soul”.

So, in summary, the Argument from Reason is FLAWED on many levels.  But, not only that, the very premise of the argument itself is flawed.  The Christian or theist using this argument is basically taking something that is logically impossible from the get go, and making an argument from that.  A functional, rational human being is the result of activity in the brain.  Nothing more, nothing less.  It is the result of millions of years of evolution of our species to the point where we are right now, at this moment in time.  And who knows what we will evolve to millions of years from now…baring that we don’t kill ourselves through nuclear war or completely destroy the earth in some catastrophic way.  And that’s why we have to start taking care of our Earth now before we kill her and stop focusing on things that are invisible=nonexistent.

Bibliography

1998, “The Argument from Reason” by Victor Reppert.

© 2010 TheBlackGayInfidel

I Now Pronounce You Husband & Husband!!

Marriage is a scared union between a man and a woman.  It is a union that is holy and joined together by God.  Well, that’s according to most Christians and fundamentalist from other religions as well.  Anybody who says anything otherwise is a sinner!  And the thought of two men getting married or two women?  Oh no!  That’s wicked and vile!  And that’s exactly what Christian protesters, in states where gay marriage is now legal, have been shouting from the top of their lungs.  I wonder what the founder of true protestant marriage, Henry VIII, would say about all of this debauchery?  He would probably be shocked and appalled to see marriage in such a foul state.  And so would his wives Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr.

Many Christian fundamentalists claim that gay marriage is going to “destroy” the family.  It’s going to “destroy” the institution of marriage as well as “family” and moral values.  I think it would be hard for one segment of the population to accomplish ALL of that.  And besides, so called Christians and non-gay anti-gay marriage ReThuglicans have already done one hell of a job making marriage all about “family” and moral values.  Case in point:

Sen. John McCain- divorced.  Rush Limbaugh- divorced several times (who would want to marry his ass anyway?)  Newt Gingrich- divorced (and presented the news to his wife while she was in the hospital trying to fight cancer).  Ronald Reagan- divorced.  Bob Dole- divorced.  Bob Barr- divorced twice and now on marriage #3 (and he had the gall to author and push the “Defense of Marriage” act through.  I wonder which one of his marriages he’s going to “defend”?).  I think I’ve made my point.

But with all of this talk about how holy marriage is, there is little talk about the actual REALITY of marriage.  It’s a threesome between the two people involved and the State.  In most states you have to get a blood test done beforehand, which takes a little romance out of the equation.  You have to get a license, just like getting a license to drive a car.  The State is the one who decides who gets what in the event of a divorce.  They have the sole power to dissolve assets, distribute children, and work out child support payments.  That sounds romantic indeed!

With all of that said, who is exactly being threatened by gay marriage?  How EXACTLY are gays going to destroy “family” values and morals?  A gay person is no more likely to harm or commit a crime than someone who is non-gay.  When was the last time that you heard of someone gay killing someone anyway?  Come to think about it, most crimes are committed by people who are non-gay.  Maybe I should be afraid of non-gay people?  White collar crimes, which has left millions without jobs and savings, have been repeatedly committed by white non-gay men.  But in any event, what do legal unions between gay couples have to do with morality?

If you try to think about one, non-religious, reason to be opposed to gay marriage, you will have a hard time thinking of one.  Trust me.  I’ve tried.  But, if you are a Christian and you believe in the Bible that’s another story.  So, once again, it all boils down to religion.  Church open your Bibles to Leviticus Chapter 20, verse 13.  When you have it, let the church say Amen.  Amen!

“If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination:  they shall surely be put to DEATH; their blood shall be upon them.”

Now church, I need you to go to Romans Chapter 1, verses 26 through 32.  When you have it let the church say Amen.  Amen!

“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections:  for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust on toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet…Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of DEATH.”

Well, that’s pretty straightforward.  Gays are to be murdered.  God said so.  End of story.  So, all you Christians need to join together, write to your congressman and your local law enforcement, and tell them that you DEMAND a law on the books right now that calls for the DEATH of all homosexuals.  Your Bible says you should be killing gays, and, if you’re going to be consistent with you faith, you need to be getting on it right now!  Heaven is at stake!  But wait…I don’t hear any Christians jumping on the “kill all gays” bandwagon.  Why is that?  Is it that such illogical, prejudiced actions would be viewed for what they are?  Illegal, unconstitutional, barbaric, and just plain stupid?  To call for the DEATH of homosexuals would make Christians look stupid.  It would make them look stupid, barbaric, and primitive.  But that’s what most of the Bible is…barbaric, primitive, and stupid.  So, unless you’re going to fall in to the trap of “relative values” you have no choice but to get on the horn now and tell your lawmakers to start killing gays now.  You’ll look like morons, but honestly you will be doing what your God commands, thereby serving him.

And honestly, what do gays do that heterosexuals do not?  Do gays kiss?  Yes, and so do heteros.  Do gays have oral sex?  Yes, and so do heteros.  Do gays have anal sex?  Yes, and so do heteros.  Do gays fail to have offspring?  Yes, and so do heteros who have gone through menopause or hysterectomies, or have had vasectomies, or who use birth control, or who choose celibacy.  Do gays split up?  Yes, and so do heteros.  All you have to do is check the divorce rate for that one.  There is no logical reason why a gay couple should NOT have the same benefits as their hetero counterparts.  Marriage is about medical insurance, living wills, so on and so forth.  If two gay people love each other as much, or as little as their hetero counterparts, then what’s the problem?

So what exactly does the Bible say about marriage?  Church, I need you to open your Bibles again to I King Chapter 11, verse 3.  Let’s talk about good ole’ King Solomon.  When you have it, let the church say Amen.  Amen!

“And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines:  and his wives turned away his heart.”

Seven HUNDRED wives!  Three HUNDRED concubines!  Isn’t that just the perfect example of “family” values and morality!?  For all of those Christians who want a constitutional amendment defining marriage between a man and a woman, maybe the amendment should go a little something like this:

“Marriage shall be between one man, and from one to seven hundred women.”  That would be consistent in what the Bible teaches about marriage.  Let’s continue though.  Church, open your Bibles to Deuteronomy Chapter 22, verses 20 and 21.  When you have it, let the church say amen.  Amen!

“But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel:  Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die:  because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father’s house:  so shalt thou put evil away from among you.”

Ok…so if a young woman was raped, then sold off into marriage to a man who found no “tokens” of virginity she would be stoned to death.  Ok.  Sounds simple enough.  So maybe the amendment should go a little something like this then:

“Marriage shall be between one man, and from one to seven hundred women; and if the bride is found to not be a virgin, she shall be put to death.”  That would be consistent in what the Bible teaches about marriage.  Let’s hear what Paul has to say about marriage.  Church, turn in your Bibles to I Corinthians Chapter 7, verses 1 and 2.  When you have it, let the church say amen.  Amen!

“Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me:  It is good for a man not to touch a woman.  Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.”

Paul stays with this theme in I Corinthians Chapter 7, verses 7 through 9.  Flip to it right quick, church.  When you have it, let the church say amen.  Amen!

“For I would that all men were even as I myself.  But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.  I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.  But if they cannot contain, let them marry:  for it is better to marry than to burn.”

That’s pretty straightforward.  Paul says that only reason to get married is if you get so horny, you can’t take it anymore.  It seems like marriage is all about sexual intercourse to Paul.  So maybe the amendment should go something like this:

“Marriage shall be between one man, and from one to seven hundred women; and if the bride is found to not be a virgin, she shall be put to death; but the only reason to get married at all is if you are on fire with lust and cannot control it and need a way to avoid falling into fornication.”  That would be consistent with what the Bible teaches about marriage.

At the end of the day, if two consenting adults want to be together, what they DO together is none of anybody’s business but theirs.  As long as they are not hurting anyone in the process, then we should be wishing them all the best.  In today’s society, it’s a rare thing anyway to see two people madly in love with each other…gay or straight.  And if two people want to commensurate  that love with the stamp of marriage, more power to them.  True love between two people is something that should be celebrated…not condemned or ridiculed.  Maybe the amendment should be worded like this:

“Marriage shall be between two consenting adults who want to live together and love each other, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.”

That sounds a lot better…I like that.  I think my baby likes that one too!

© 2010 TheBlackGayInfidel

Freethought 101- Argument From Miracles

Miracles have been around since the dawn of time…or should I say the dawn of religion.  The sight of the face of Jesus in a napkin?  It’s a miracle!  Blood coming out of the eyes and hands of the Virgin Mary?  It’s a miracle!  Water turning into wine?  It’s a miracle!  Miracles have always been the extra “proof” that God exists…somewhere.  It seems as though miracles have “calmed” down a bit.  Hundreds and even thousands of years ago they were quite common place.  Where did all the miracles go?

I don’t think they went anywhere.  I just think they got a little more “arrogant”.  For example, all the earthquake survivors in Haiti who are now talking about how god saved “them” and how it was a miracle that they survived (to hell with all the other people who died).  The same with the people who said it was a miracle that “they” survived the World Trade Center attacks (again, to hell with everybody else who died).  A miracle indeed!  If you think about it this way, I can not think of something so vain and egotistical than to believe oneself worthy of one of God’s “miracles”, while a tornado rips across Mississippi and kills 3 children.

But, with all this talk about miracles, there is NEVER any talk about the logical aspect of miracles.  If you think about it, miracles require two things:

1. The existence of an all-powerful God and/or angels and/or spirits who have the power to perform miracles.

2. A selection process by the miracle worker(s) that include, for example, helping a basketball player make a last minute free throw, but will exclude the cries of a 6 year old girl praying for her uncle to stop molesting her.

No one has a problem with #1.  #2…ouch!  It’s like religion itself.  Accept what is told to you at face value and stop asking questions.  People WANT to believe in miracles because of the warm, fuzzy feelings they create.  But, on the flip side of the coin, people don’t want to understand them.  That’s why it’s important TO ask questions about what you believe.  And I have one that I want to ask.  If a car bomb goes off outside a building and 100 people die while 2 survive, it IS called a miracle.  Should the families of the 100 that died think of it as a miracle also?

Let’s take a look at the definition of “miracle” shall we?

miracle- An event that appears inexplicable by the laws of nature and so is held to be supernatural in origin or an act of God.

Miracles supposedly happen to people because they have deep and unwavering faith.  Most churches teach you that if you believe HARD enough, and STRONG enough, that God will come and work a miracle in your life.  And I think it’s a fair statement to say that most Christians would agree with that claim.  Most Christians would also agree that miracles are good.  Am I right?  But where’s the rule book that claims all miracles are supposed to be good?  280,000 people killed by a wall of water in Asia is a miracle.  The definition of miracle is an act inexplicable by the laws of nature right?  When it comes to miracles people always talk about time and location.  “If I hadn’t been late getting to the airport, I wouldn’t have missed my flight.  The one that crashed and killed all those people today.  It’s a miracle!”  You can bring that argument back to the tsunami.  The location which caused the killer tsunami was chosen by God to kill all those people, and is therefore a miracle.

Let’s take a look at one of the biggest miracles of all time…the Great Flood found in Genesis 7:4.  This was CLEARLY an act of God because the Good Book said so.  “And I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made I will destroy from off the face of the earth.”  God making it rain for forty days and forty nights ALL over the globe is no small task.  That constitutes as a miracle, does it not?  That certainly qualifies as an event inexplicable by the laws of nature and so is to be supernatural in origin or an act of God.  It caused catastrophic death and destruction, but hey.  It’s a miracle!

If you think about miracles this way, any event throughout history that “appears inexplicable” by the laws of nature can be called a miracle.  Anyone who believes that the disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle can not be explained by the laws of nature therefore believes those disappearances constitute as miracles.  Every baby that ever died suddenly in a crib, with no apparent cause, was the recipient of a miracle.  This can go on and on.  If you believe in miracles, you can NOT deny that.  If you believe in miracles you have defined yourself in to that corner with no way out.

So, it seems that we have established that miracles are a double-edged sword indeed.  But, more importantly, how are miracle recipients chosen?  Christians label their god as omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (everywhere at once), and omnibenevolent (all-merciful).  And if you believe that God is all powerful and all merciful, then how do you explain the above?  Not only that, but what kind of god would intervene in something as trivial as you making an A on a test or for that Grammy award (which supposedly he does a lot), yet ignore the cries and prayers of millions of children who ask him for his help daily?  Especially when it comes to innocent children, how can God not work miracles for them if he’s perfectly willing and capable to do them at all?  There are only TWO answers to that question.

1.  God has never, or ever will perform miracles on earth.

2.  God has a sadistic streak.

Case in point.  The Catholic Church is in a crisis right now from all of the hundreds of people coming forth claiming they were raped or molested by their priest.  Many of these people’s lives are damaged beyond repair.  Some of them commit suicide.  Many others have bouts of depression that last their whole lives.  Please tell me how an innocent child…a child of God at that…can pray STRONG and HARD for their priest to stop molesting them.  And how this God, being the miracle-worker that he is, can sit back and do nothing but yet slip a little magic on the soccer ball so it can go through the goal?  Miracle-believers say this all makes perfect sense.  God “works in mysterious ways” is typically the answer.  That excuse has been so worked to death, but it still does not excuse the cruelty of a god that would not intervene in the molestation of a child, while choosing to help the Yankees win the World Series.  If a human were to do something like that, he or she would be put to death.  But not God…oh no.  He works in mysterious ways…

Miracles can be dangerous as well.  There is something powerful to be said about blind faith.  Case in point.  A woman in her 40’s with breast cancer attended a Benny Hinn faith healing service one night.  Benny got on the mike and said to the audience, “There is a woman out there with cancer who needs to be delivered!  I command you in the name of Jesus to come forth and get your healing!”  The woman with breast cancer IMMEDIATELY jumped up, and ran down the isle to the stage.  Benny placed his hand on her head and told her that if she BELIEVED with all of her might, God would heal her.  She immediately started  crying and shouting “thank you Jesus!” before Benny finally “knocked” her out with the spirit.  But what happened after the service was the real shocker.  This lady TRULY believed that she had been healed.  She felt fine, and she felt like she didn’t have to take her medicine anymore.  To take her medicine would be her not believing as STRONG and as HARD as she possibly could so she could receive her “miracle”.  She received a “miracle” alright…she was dead in 6 months.

When it comes to miracles, the supernatural has to take over.  And anytime you start dabbling in the supernatural, nonsense and foolishness usually occur.  Miracles ARE nonsense.  They defy logic, common sense, compassion, and fairness.  In the words of Adam Lambert, “Baby it’s time for miracles,” indeed!

© 2010 TheBlackGayInfidel

Can Black Men Successfuly Date Outside Of Their Race?

I was at a dinner party a couple of years ago that a friend of mine was hosting.  He wanted to throw a party to celebrate his new found relationship.  Now, it just so happens that my friend was black and his new lover was white.  That didn’t bother me.  The only thing I was concerned about was if they truly made each other happy.  That’s the goal of any relationship gay or straight, right?

Once I got to the party, I could tell all was not well in paradise.  The whole night, there seemed to be a disconnect with the two of them.  Their body language and chemistry was not of two people in love, but two people who didn’t know how to interact with each other.   I did not see them hug or kiss each other all evening.  I didn’t see them even slightly touch each other.  The conversation was forced, and an ever so slight miscommunication between the two of them almost resulted in them having an argument.  Not my ideal of a fun evening…

But nevertheless, it got me to start thinking.  This was the THIRD time that I was around them as a couple.  And their interaction with each other was exactly the same as the first time I met them.  New relationships are supposed to get better with the passage of a few months, right?  Not in this case, and it made me start to feel that they simply weren’t compatible with each other.  Does race have something to do with it?  A little bit, but more on that later.  Relationships are between TWO people.  That’s it.  Black and white.  Black and Hispanic.  White and Asian.  It doesn’t matter.  It’s what those TWO people bring to the table that counts.  And that’s where I want to go with this.  It’s what my African-American brothers are bringing to the relationship table that causes the problem…especially in interracial relationships.

In the case of my friend, he was one of those black men who was “through” with dating black men.  Back in college,  he had a couple of unsuccessful relationships with TWO black men, and he swore that he would NEVER date another one.  It was at this point that he started hanging out with only white gay people.  He only dated white men.  Everything about my friend now was about forgetting everything that was black, and replacing it with everything white.  Even my friendship with him started to suffer a bit. It was like he was taking an eraser and trying to rub out the blackness.  It was disturbing.

I received a call from him a few months later after he started dating his first white boyfriend.  He was crying because his then boyfriend had just broke up with him, and he really wanted to talk.  I obliged and met him at a restaurant for a couple of drinks.  It was then, during our conversation that he opened up about some disturbing things that happened to him during this childhood.  One, that he was sexually molested at a young age by an older uncle.  And two, he was physically abused by his father.  Hmm…

Let’s stop here for a minute.  Think about what I said earlier.  It’s what we bring to the table in our relationships that will either make them or break them.  And in the case of my friend, there were STILL unresolved feelings about his sexual molestation and his physical abuse that controlled him, frightened him, and saddened him.  It was then, that he told me that the last black man that he dated pushed him during the midst of an argument.  He said that “push” made him think about his father, and about how he wanted to escape from him.  How he wished his life was totally different.  It’s sad, but the effects of abuse can last for a long time.  His ideal of “escape” was not only being with someone who was not black, but in a way denying his own blackness.  The blackness that had caused him so much pain as a child.

(A side note:  When we were sitting at the table having this conversation years ago, I asked my friend why did his boyfriend break up with him?  The response:  “He said that I don’t know how to handle problems and stress well.  He said I was ‘too much’ for him.”  Hmm…)

But, as you can see, it wasn’t so much the black men that my friend dated that made him turn away from black men.  It was all of my friend’s unresolved personal issues that made him turn away from black men.  Those personal issues also affected how he dealt with the white men that he was now dating.

Well, did he fare better with white men?  Not really.  During sex one night, one white man he was with told him to, “Take this white cock you black bitch!”  Needless to say, they didn’t talk again.  Another white man cheated on him repeatedly and gave him genital herpes.  And another white man actually sexually assaulted him.  But is that to say that all white men are bad?  No.  Not at all.

Black people have always had this kind of “savior” mentality when it comes to white people.  Like everything will be “better” with the white man.  Or that the white man will take care of me…provide for me…be a better husband to me.  And if you think about it, the mentality goes back to slave times.  Lighter skinned blacks were in the house with the white master, while the darker skinned blacks were out in the field.  It was a “privilege” to be in the house with the master.  The lighter you were, the “better” you were.  The more you were able to do and accomplish in society.  Light skinned blacks who were “white” looking were taught at an EARLY age to pass as white.  To never look back to their blackness, because it would only bring you the whip and shackles.

And if you think about it, there are blacks who subconsciously do it now.  Because these particular black people feel that white is right and better, they will hang out with all white people, try to listen to “white” music, date white people, go to “white” churches, basically do ANYTHING that is NOT black.  This is the 21st century ideal of “passing” for white.  But are we really “passing” for white, or “passing” on ourselves?

I was reading a website that had a discussion about interracial dating.  Here are some of the comments that were from the BLACK MEN:

“I would never date a black man for the simple fact they are good for nothing.  This is coming from a black man.”

“I am a young gay black man, and I only date white men because black men are no good for me.  They are liars, cheaters, dead beat fathers, criminals, thugs, jail birds, jobless, drug dealers, gang bangers, and everything else.  Black men are extremely homophobic.”

“I had one bad experience with a black man and that did it for me.”

Are those really fair statements to make?  I’m black and I think I’m one hell of a catch for a guy!  Are all black men bad?  No.  Are all black men criminals and thugs?  No.  It’s one thing to have a personal preference…it’s something TOTALLY different to label a specific race based on a few bad experiences.  That’s ignorance.  And gay people, more than ANY should be well aware of the ignorance that most straight people have about us.  We as gay people already deal with enough as it is…why do we want to practice ignorance within our OWN community?

And that’s the lesson for today.  We are INDIVIDUALS.  And yes, we do have individual preferences.  Some of us black men actually LIKE white men, and vice verse.  All white men aren’t out to date black men because they have big dicks.  All black men aren’t out to date a white man because of what they think they can do for them.  When we meet people and when we date, we bring together our collective experiences.  We share thoughts and ideals.  We communicate about life, politics, science, religion, and so many other things.  And this is ultimately what a relationship should be about.  It should be about whether or not on a FUNDAMENTAL level if two people are compatible or not.  Black, white, or hispanic have nothing to do with that.

As for my friend, he and the guy from that awful dinner party eventually broke up.  But, the bright side is my friend did get some professional help to deal with his childhood issues.  And now, he lives a more happy and more fulfilled life.  He has patched things up with his father, and even his sexually abusive uncle.  He does have a current boyfriend.  They have been together for a few years now.  He is not white, but hispanic.  But he went into the relationship on his own terms…and by bringing a better “ME” to the relationship table, he was able to find someone that truly loves him for the person that he is.  Yes, black men can date successfully outside of their race.  We can also successfully date each other.  It starts with treating not only ourselves, but others with dignity and respect.

“The greatest thing is to love…and be loved in return.”  From Moulin Rouge

© 2010 TheBlackGayInfidel

Freethought 101- Argument From Holy Scripture

In philosophy, if someone makes a positive claim, they must provide evidence to substantiate that claim.  If they can not provide the evidence to support the claim, then the claim is dismissed.  That’s simple enough, right?  All the time, I hear Christians tell me, “Prove to me that the Bible ain’t real!”  Or, “How can you prove that Jesus doesn’t exist?”  The problem with this is that I DON’T BELIEVE in that.  Furthermore, I am not the one making the claims that souls exist, people ascend into heaven, there’s a hell below us, etc.  So, it’s not up to me to prove ANYTHING.  Now, it IS up to the person making the claim to prove that the claim exists.  And that’s the case that we have with Christianity.  Christianity makes all manner of claims, and being such, it’s up to Christianity to prove each one.

In the field of academia, there are 10 “main” arguments for the existence of god.  These arguments are (in no particular order):

1. The Argument from Holy Scripture

2. The Argument from Miracles

3. The Argument from Reason

4. The Argument to Design

5. Cosmological Arguments

6. The Moral Argument

7. Ontological Arguments

8. Pascal’s Wager

9. The Argument from Religious Experience

10. Transcendental Arguments

Let’s break each one of these down and see how this works.  Shall we??

THE ARGUMENT FROM HOLY SCRIPTURE

The Argument from Holy Scripture goes a little something like this.  The Christian god is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.  The Bible is the word of the Christian god.  The Bible is inerrant as well as infallable.  Because the Bible is inerrant and infallable, only someone as omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent as the Christian god could have made it.  Therefore the Christian god exists.  Let’s analyze the definition of “inerrant” and “infallable”:

inerrant- Free from error

infallible- Absolutely trustworthy; immune from fallacy or error

Now, I’m not getting ready to go into how the Bible was “created”, the Council of Niccea, or any of that stuff right now.  I’m just merely sticking with the argument.  First off, you can not quote a source to prove that the very same source is valid.  So anything FROM the Bible to prove that it is true is null and void.  So, is there any other OUTSIDE, VERIFIABLE information that proves that the Bible is indeed the word of the Christian god?  No.  None at all.  But let’s keep going.

Let’s take a look at the Bible itself.  Is it actually inerrant??  Infaillable??  Let’s read and find out!

GE 1:3-5 On the first day, God created light, then separated light and darkness.
GE 1:14-19 The sun (which separates night and day) wasn’t created until the fourth day.

GE 1:31 God was pleased with his creation.
GE 6:5-6 God was not pleased with his creation.
(That God should be displeased is inconsistent with the concept of omniscience.)

GE 2:4, 4:26, 12:8, 22:14-16, 26:25 God was already known as “the Lord” (Jahveh or Jehovah) much earlier than the time of Moses.
EX 6:2-3 God was first known as “the Lord” (Jahveh or Jehovah) at the time of the Egyptian Bondage, during the life of Moses.

GE 2:17 Adam was to die the very day that he ate the forbidden fruit.
GE 5:5 Adam lived 930 years.

GE 4:15, DT 32:19-27, IS 34:8 God is a vengeful god.
EX 15:3, IS 42:13, HE 12:29 God is a warrior. God is a consuming fire.
EX 20:5, 34:14, DT 4:24, 5:9, 6:15, 29:20, 32:21 God is a jealous god.
LE 26:7-8, NU 31:17-18, DT 20:16-17, JS 10:40, JG 14:19, EZ 9:5-7 The Spirit of God is (sometimes) murder and killing.
NU 25:3-4, DT 6:15, 9:7-8, 29:20, 32:21, PS 7:11, 78:49, JE 4:8, 17:4, 32:30-31, ZP 2:2 God is angry. His anger is sometimes fierce.
2SA 22:7-8 (KJV) “I called to the Lord; … he heard my voice; … The earth trembled and quaked, … because he was angry. Smoke came from his nostrils. Consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.”
EZ 6:12, NA 1:2, 6 God is jealous and furious. He reserves wrath for, and takes revenge on, his enemies. “… who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and rocks are thrown down by him.”
2CO 13:11, 14, 1JN 4:8, 16 God is love.
GA 5:22-23 The fruit of the Spirit of God is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

GE 11:7-9 God sows discord.
PR 6:16-19 God hates anyone who sows discord.

GE 17:1, 35:11, 1CH 29:11-12, LK 1:37 God is omnipotent. Nothing is impossible with (or for) God.
JG 1:19 Although God was with Judah, together they could not defeat the plainsmen because the latter had iron chariots.

GE 17:15-16, 20:11-12, 22:17 Abraham and his half sister, Sarai, are married and receive God’s blessings.
LE 20:17, DT 27:20-23 Incest is wrong.

EX 23:7 God prohibits the killing of the innocent.
NU 31:17-18, DT 7:2, JS 6:21-27, 7:19-26, 8:22-25, 10:20, 40, 11:8-15, 20, JG 11:30-39, 21:10-12, 1SA 15:3 God orders or approves the complete extermination of groups of people which include innocent women and/or children.

DT 24:16, 2KI 14:6, 2CH 25:4, EZ 18:20 Children are not to suffer for their parent’s sins.
RO 5:12, 19, 1CO 15:22 Death is passed to all men by the sin of Adam.

1KI 3:12, 4:29, 10:23-24, 2CH 9:22-23 God made Solomon the wisest king and the wisest man that ever lived. There never has been nor will be another like him.
MT 12:42, LK 11:31 Jesus says: “… now one greater than Solomon is here.”

MT 1:6-7 The lineage of Jesus is traced through David’s son, Solomon.
LK 3:23-31 It is traced through David’s son, Nathan.
(Some apologists assert that Luke traces the lineage through Mary. That this is untrue is obvious from the context since Luke and Matthew both clearly state that Joseph was Jesus’ father.)

MT 2:13-16 Following the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary flee to Egypt, (where they stay until after Herod’s death) in order to avoid the murder of their firstborn by Herod. Herod slaughters all male infants two years old and under. (Note: John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, though under two is somehow spared without fleeing to Egypt.)
LK 2:22-40 Following the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary remain in the area of Jerusalem for the Presentation (about forty days) and then return to Nazareth without ever going to Egypt. There is no slaughter of the infants.

MT 4:1-11, MK 1:12-13 Immediately following his Baptism, Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness resisting temptation by the Devil.
JN 2:1-11 Three days after the Baptism, Jesus was at the wedding in Cana.

MT 21:1-17 The sequence was: triumphal entry, cleansing of the temple, Bethany.
MK 11:1-19 Triumphal entry, cleansing of the temple.
LK 19:28-48 Triumphal entry, cleansing of the temple, daily teaching in the temple.
JN 12:1-18 Cleansing of the temple (early in his career), Supper with Lazarus, triumphal entry, no cleansing of the temple following the triumphal entry.

MT 26:34, LK 22:34, JN 13:38 Peter was to deny Jesus before the cock crowed.
MK 14:30 Before the cock crowed twice.
MK 14:66-72 The cock crows after both the first and second denials.
These discrepancies have been “translated out” in some Bible versions.)

MT 27:5 Judas hanged himself.
AC 1:18 He fell headlong, burst open, and his bowels gushed out.

MT 28:1 The first visitors to the tomb were Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (two).
MK 16:1 Both of the above plus Salome (three).
LK 23:55 – 24:1, 24:10 Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and “other women” (at least five).
JN 20:1 Mary Magdalene only (one).

MT 28:2 An angel arrived during an earthquake, rolled back the stone, then sat on it (outside the tomb).
MK 16:5 No earthquake, only one young man sitting inside the tomb.
LK 24:2-4 No earthquake. Two men suddenly appear standing inside the tomb.
JN 20:12 No earthquake. Two angels are sitting inside the tomb.

MK 16:14-19 The Ascension took place (presumably from a room) while the disciples were together seated at a table, probably in or near Jerusalem.
LK 24:50-51 It took place outdoors, after supper, at Bethany (near Jerusalem).
AC 1:9-12 It took place outdoors, after 40+ days, at Mt. Olivet.
MT 28:16-20 No mention is made of an ascension, but if it took place at all, it must have been from a mountain in Galilee since MT ends there.)

LK 8:12 The Devil causes unbelief.
MK 4:11-12 Jesus is responsible for unbelief in at least some cases.
2TH 2:11-12 God is ultimately responsible for unbelief in at least some cases.

Now, if this book is supposed to be inerrant then I shouldn’t have been able to list not ONE single contradiction found in this book.  I just merely skimmed the surface. Let’s keep going!

GE 3:14-16 God curses the serpent, Eve, and Adam for what they have done. (This is inconsistent with God’s omniscience; God should have known full well, ahead of time, what the outcome would be. Since God created the three as well as the Tree of Knowledge, he is ultimately responsible for the Fall.)

GE 4:17 Cain builds and populates a whole city in only two generations.

GE 7:19-20 The flood covered the earth with water fifteen cubits (twenty plus feet) above the highest mountains.(This would require steady, worldwide rainfall at the rate of about 6 inches per minute, 360 inches per hour, 8640 inches per day–for 40 days and nights–so as to cover the entire earth with an endless ocean 5 miles deep, thus burying 29,000 ft. Mt. Everest under 22 ft. of water. How did the author know the depth of the water? Did Noah take soundings? And where has all this water gone?)

LE 14:33-57 God himself believes that a house or clothes can have leprosy and he details the remedy.

DT 25:5-9 A man has an obligation to produce a child with his brother’s widow. If he refuses, his sister-in-law is to spit in his face in front of the elders.

JG 15:15 Samson slays 1000 men with the jawbone of an ass.

2CH 7:5, 8-9 Solomon sacrificed 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep in one week. (This is 845+ animals per hour, 14+ animals per minute, for seven days straight.)

JE 20:7, EZ 14:9 Jeremiah says that the Lord deceived his own prophet. God himself says that he deceives his own prophets in order to get rid of them.

GE 19:4-8 A group of sexually depraved men demands that Lot turn over to them his two male visitors. Lot offers his two virgin daughters instead.

GE 19:30-38 Lot’s daughters have sexual intercourse with him while he is drunk and both become pregnant by their father.

DT 21:10-14 With the Lord’s approval, the Israelites are allowed to kidnap “beautiful women” from the enemy camp to be their trial wives. If, after having sexual relations, a man has “no delight” in his wife, he can simply let her go.

ES 2:2-17 King Ahasuerus holds a sexual contest with “fair young virgins” to pick a new Queen (after having been spurned by Queen Vashti).

IS 13:15 “Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their … wives will be ravished.”

MA 2:3 The Lord says that he will spread dung upon the faces of the priests.

I can’t take anymore!!  That’s disgusting!! AND AGAIN, I AM JUST SKIMMING THE SURFACE!!  THERE IS MORE IN THE BIBLE!  But the point?  The Bible is in NO WAY inerrant or infallable.  And for anyone to believe that this book is somehow the word of some god ought to really reconsider the god that they serve because this one doesn’t seem to be in his right mind.  And to think people read this to their children!  It should carry a parental advisory sticker on the cover with all the filth in that book!!

So, the Argument from Holy Scripture…FAILED.  The Bible (or even the existence thereof) is in no way proof of the existence of a deity.  Now again, this is just a brief overview.  This and the other arguments get a little bit more complicated than this, but again this is just an overview.  In my next Freethought 101 I’ll talk about the Argument from Miracles.  Now, THAT should be interesting!  Stay tuned!!

© 2010 TheBlackGayInfidel

The State of the Black Gay Union Pt. 2

Picking up where we left off!!!

Group 3– “Captain Save-a-Stud”

Now don’t think we were going to get off the hook, my lesbian sisters (and brothers)!  Brothers…that’s exactly where my mind takes me when I see some of these “studs” out here in the streets these days.  Or, should I use the word brutha…that’s more like it.  I kid you not.  I saw a “stud” yesterday with some Air Force One’s on, jeans saggin’ all the way down to her damn knees, WITH some boxer shorts on!  It get’s better!  She had on a white tank top, a gold chain around her kneck, and a mouth full of gold teeth.  Now mind you, she was COVERED in tattoos.  And top top it all off, her fade was tighter than mine!  You know I was upset about that!

But the end result…this “girl” looked and played the PART of a hoodlum.  A common “dope boy” image.  And speaking of dope, she did happen to WREAK of marijuana.  She is not the only “stud” I see running around playing into that image.  And in playing into that image lies the problem…

The young black “stud” culture is saturated with this sort of hood boy masculinity.  “Studs” with cornrows, tattoos, most of them in the dope game, and some of them into other crime…sometimes violent.  It’s one thing to be a masculine woman.  It’s something TOTALLY different being a thug.  And what’s so sad is that it’s ENCOURAGED!  The harder you are, the harder you look, the more BUTCH you can be, the more like a MAN you can be, the better!!  But that’s a very SICK image of a man.  That’s not the type of man that I am, or any other upstanding men in our society are.  So why would you want to aspire to be street filth???

Dear Ms. “Stud”.  I’m not trying to jump on you either.  I just want to give you some encouragement.  It’s okay if you have more “manly” tendencies than some of your female counterparts.  Nothing is wrong with that.  But a man, as well as a woman is defined by their ACTIONS.  We are defined how we treat one another, how we share with one another, how we build and uplift one another.  You want to be a POSITIVE force, and not a negative one.  And that’s exactly what that “hood” image is…negative.  It plays into so much of what’s WRONG with us as African-Americans (welfare, drugs, poverty, babies, crime, shooting, death, etc.).  It’s 2010, Ms. “Stud”.  We’re about keeping it pushing and doing better.

The lesson here…don’t be about what’s wrong with us as African-Americans.  You want to be about what’s RIGHT…and that’s being the BEST person, neighbor, lover, friend, mother, sister, and wife you can be.  Man and all.

Group 4– The “Adam4Adam” Whore

Yes, gay men are going to cruise for sex.  Not ALL gay men…let’s be clear about that.  But, let’s be real.  There are just some of our brothers out there who are just going to sleep around.  That’s ok.  Do you boo boo.  As long as you being up front and honest with your sexual partners and practicing safe sex, all I can do is wish you the best.  And what’s the best way to sleep around?  The internet!  Ding, ding!  And what site out there is good for finding some quick sex?  Adam4Adam!!  Ding, ding!  Now, this is in no way disrespect for the gay brothers who do log on to Adam4Adam and use it as a way to meet other gay brothers.  Nothings wrong with that.

It’s HOW we do it…therein lies the problem.

Think of the typical profile.  Everybody is trying to be UBER MASCULINE.  No fats, no fems!  That’s probably on more than HALF of every profile on there.  Everything “fem” is discouraged.  Everything all MAN is encouraged.  The bigger the dick the better.  And if you ARE a bottom, then you better be a MASCULINE one!  All fem bottoms be damned!!  Not only are we taking it there, but everybody has got to be “DL”.  If you ain’t “discreet” or not out, don’t bother hitting me up!  And don’t talk to somebody, exchange numbers, meet, and they happen to be less masculine or not looking like the pic…you talking about some pissed off people!

When did we start judging people based on masculinity any way?  Is there a meter out there somebody has that can actually MEASURE how masculine someone is??  My goodness…the foolishness we can think of when our brains start to wonder!!  In choosing a mate, there should be other things one considers like is this person honest, trustworthy, loving, affectionate, passionate about life, has similar interests to mine, can this person carry on a decent conversation…those are some of the first things that come into my mind in choosing a mate.  Not how high they rank on some imaginary masculinity meter.

And once again, using the terms “discreet” and “DL” only play into the stereotypes that black gay men are secretive, you can’t trust them, they all got AIDS, all they do is have anonymous sex, that only “fem” black men are gay, etc. etc.  How are you being “discreet” anyway?  By not showing a face pic??  Come on brother!!  You go from being “discreet” to known the minute you let Mr. DLUndacovaBruh in your house!  And think about how many times you have let a Mr. DLundacovaBruh in your house…times Six Degrees of Seperation…you get the picture.

The lesson here, which is the theme between groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, is that masculinity is not the measure by which a man should be measured by.  And furthermore, masculinity is NOT being “DL”, “discreet”, a closet “Church Queen”, a dope boy, a thug, a hood “stud”, or anything else relating to such.  Being a man, or a woman for that matter is about making our world the best that it can be.  All day. Everyday.  It’s making sure that another mouth is fed.  It’s making sure that another child has good drinking water.  It’s pushing technology FORWARD so we don’t have to depend on fossil fuels and collapsing oil platforms.  It’s educating our children so they know how to at least read and write by the time they get out of high school.  It’s putting one more crack dealer in jail.  It’s helping your elderly neighbor carry her groceries in.  It’s cleaning up and taking pride in our communities.  It’s being a better YOU, and a better ME.

And that’s my message to the Black Gay Union.  It’s 2010.  We black gay brothers and sisters should seize this moment.  We SHOULD be out.  We SHOULD be developing better relationships with each other than wallowing in the mud of anonymous sex.  We SHOULD be getting engaged.  We SHOULD be getting married.  We SHOULD be adopting children.  We SHOULD be out helping in the community.  We SHOULD be a voice in the community.  We SHOULD be setting the example for the rest of our African American brothers and sisters to follow.  Why fear??  Why be in secret any longer when we don’t have to be??

It is our time.  It is our moment.  We have been here all along.  Hiding…in the midst of our own damn people.  We SHOULD NOT hide any longer.  It’s time to tell the black church that we are here to stay.  Either get with it, or get out of the way.  A church is only a big as the people that go to it.  And that’s evident by the foreclosure of the church down the street from me.  It’s time to be real with our families and tell them that we are here to stay.  Either get with it, or get out of the way.  It’s time to start taking a stand for ourselves as well as our communities.  We are empowered to lead the way.  To blaze the path, all you have to do is take one step…

So be gay…be proud to be gay…be black…be proud to be black…be YOU!

© 2010 TheBlackGayInfidel

The State of the Black Gay Union

Fourscore and seven years ago…wasn’t that how the Gettysburg Address started?  I feel like that’s where I’m going with this…and that’s not a good thing!

It is now the year 2010.  We ARE in the 21st century.  Almost EVERYONE either personally knows of someone who is gay, or they know someone who has a gay friend, so on and so forth.  Gay people are holding public offices, and that says a lot within itself.  Gay people, for the first time in United States history, are allowed to marry as well as adopt children…in certain states (more on that later).  Even though we still have a ways to go, as far as discrimination and equal rights, gay people have freedoms NOW that our gay brothers and sisters before us merely dreamed of…and some of those people DIED for us to have those freedoms.

So…why in the HELL is the black gay community the last to actually JOIN the rest of the 21st century!?!?!?!?

I had to take a breath for a moment…this is a very draining topic for me.  Now, there are a lot of different “groups” that fall under the “Black Gay Union”.  So, instead of addressing the “Union” as a whole right now, I am going to address the particular “groups” within the union that I think need to get it together…and FAST!!!

Group 1–The “Down Low” Brutha Muthafucka

This is probably the one group that I…I don’t want to say despise because that’s ugly.  I will say that this is the group that I feel needs the most “help”.  Again, it’s 2010.  Why are there still so MANY black gay men in marriages with women??  First of all…I’m going to come right out and say it.  It’s disgusting.  It’s fucking selfish…and if you ARE black, gay, married, and fucking around on your wife, you OWE it to her and yourself to march to the nearest attorney’s office to start divorce proceedings…NOW!!  I’m sick of this shit!

First off, it’s selfish.  It’s SO selfish.  You are in NO WAY in love with your wife, if you on Adam4Adam trying to find the next guy to screw you in the ass!  Case closed!  And if you are NOT in love with someone, you at least owe it to them to be HONEST, and to let them go.  Let them find someone who IS going to love them for the person that they are.  And in return, YOU may find the person of your dreams.  We all want that, right?  And let’s be honest…how many of these “down low brutha muthafuckas” would be happy if they found out that their wife was cheating on them??  Not too many I’m afraid.

Secondly, it’s dangerous.  Sex these days can be FATAL…and you know what I mean.  Genital herpes, as well as many other STD’s can be caught simply by skin to skin contact.  If you TRULY love someone, why would you even take a chance in not only catching something yourself but also giving it back to your wife??  The mother of your children??  How selfish is that for you to have a 10 minute fuck, catch HIV, pass it to your wife, and then boom…some years later your children are without a mother and a father.  Hmm…let that one marinate for a minute.

Now, I’m not saying all this to jump on the “down low brutha muthafucka”.  I mean this as a WAKE UP call.  Some words of encouragement if you will.  Life is short.  Each day we wake up, we are reminded of that fact in some small way.  And if life is short, why would we want to spend it unhappy?  And that’s what MANY of the “down low brutha muthafuckas” are…unhappy.  They are unahppy because they feel as though they HAVE to live their life that way…that they have to be in secret for fear of what “society” might say.  Well, let me tell you, “down low brutha muthafucka”, society ain’t paying you any attention…whatsoever.  Use 2010 as the year to say, I want to be me.  I want to be free.  And I want to live my life the way that I want to live it…on my terms.  You are the master of your own destiny, “down low brutha muthafucka”, and you CAN be happy.  I know that’s easier said than done, but all you gotta do is make the first step.

If you treat your life like it’s a secret and something to be ashamed of, then people will react to you accordingly…

Group 2– The “Church Queen”

Everybody knows what the “Church Queen” is.  If you do not, let me give you a refresher!  The “Church Queen” is the gay man in church…typically in the choir…that EVERYONE knows is gay.  Most of the time, they usually travel in packs, so beware!  Now, most of these “Church Queens” will swear up and down that they are not gay.  When the pastor is preaching hellfire and damnation to homosexuals, they are sometimes the MAIN ones up hollering “Amen”!  But, as a shock to no one, these “Church Queens” are the main ones at the club on Saturday night J setting, voguing, and everything else.

See…I knew you knew what a “Church Queen” was!

My problem with this…”Church Queen” you are living in BONDAGE as well!  First of all, if you have to deny what you are just in order to “participate” in something, are you REALLY participating?  Case in point.  I could put on a white sheet and go to the next Tea Party…I mean Klan Rally, shout white power, and put a cross on fire in a black persons yard.  But, the minute I take off the mask, do you think the people in the Klan would be willing to let me come back to another meeting?  Hell naw!

The same goes for the “Church Queen”.  “Church Queens” are on the “DL” at church because they KNOW that their church, pastor, first lady, missionary board, whatever will NOT accept them being an OUT gay man.  Christianity preaches AGAINST homosexuality!  And the churches that condone it are in the MINORITY.  So that begs the question.  Why participate in something that ultimately condemns you for who you are?  We can go back to the analogy of the Klan rally.  Why would anybody black WANT to participate in something that condemns them for the color of their skin?

“Church Queen” I’m not trying to jump on you either.  I WANT you to be better.  This is encouragement!  Never deny who you are.  That’s the lesson for today.  If you want to believe and go to church, that’s fine.  Do it in an environment that is ACCEPTING to you and your fundamental beliefs.  Don’t lie, and especially don’t compromise yourself merely for the sake of “fitting in” or to be the choir director or whatever.  It’s so not cute, and it’s so late.  Again, life is too short.  Be who you are…wherever you are.

I’m going to stop right here for now.  I’m going to pick up in part 2 on a couple of other “groups” and how these and other groups play into the stereotypes of black gay men.  And how we together CAN be a positive force as a culture for other black men as well as society as a whole.  Stay tuned!!

© 2010 TheBlackGayInfidel

What Is An Infidel???

What is an infidel?  I have been asked that question all the time.  Let’s take a look at the definition, shall we?

Infidel- A person who does not accept a particular faith.  A person who disbelieves or doubts a particular theory, belief, creed, etc.; a skeptic.

That would be me.  I am a person who does not believe in ANY particular faith.  And when it comes down to questions about the paranormal, blood coming out of eyes and hands, people getting healed from healing waters, and so forth…I don’t hold any stock in those things whatsoever.  Now, do I believe that there is some sort of cosmic entity guiding the universe??  I’m not “omniscient”, so I can NOT say that for certain.  Now, as for the candidates thus offered to be this “entity” be it Jehovah, Jesus, Allah, Shiva, Vishnu, Mithra, Osiris, Ra, Zeus, and so forth…I can safely say that I can rule each one of those options out.

How did I become an “infidel”?  Short answer…me.  Long answer…it was actually the particular “god” that I chose to serve that led me down the path of not believing in him.  Isn’t that crazy??  Not as crazy as it seems….

Consider this…when you think about religions, the basic underlying premise is that there is SOMETHING innately wrong with us as humans.  That somehow we were born wrong and in need of some sort of intercession…be it salvation from a god or some form of enlightenment.  But how can a baby who JUST came out of the mother’s womb have anything MORALLY wrong with it?  When I think about this type of foolishness, the concept of Original Sin immediately comes to mind.  Before the doctors even cut the umbilical cord and place the baby in the mother’s arms, a TRUE CHRISTIAN accepts that this little bundle of joy is ALREADY a wicked heathen covered in sin.  Crazy?  Not if you are a Christian and believe WHOLEHEARTEDLY in the concept of salvation.

Christianity is not alone in this.  All religions insist that we need to be “saved” from some ghastly fate after death.  And the only way that we can “get to heaven” is through various self-deprecating rituals such as fasting, bowing, kneeling, not having sex, praying, sacrificing animals, tithing (one that is ALWAYS encouraged), asking for forgiveness for your human fuck ups, and the list goes on and on.  And on a side note, most religions in ancient times included HUMAN SACRIFICE as a way to please their deities.  Why a deity would be excited over the death of a human is above my pay grade.

If you listen to “Amazing Grace”, by the time we get to the seventh word, we are already calling ourselves “wretches” that need to be saved!  That saved a wretch like me indeed!  But the list keeps on going…here are some of MY personal favorites:

“The Potter wants to put you back together again…at the cross, at the cross where I first SAW the light…I need someone to come and help me turn my life around…Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind…I bring my guilt to Jesus to wash my crimson stains…We deserve but grief and shame…nothing but the blood of Jesus can wash my sins away…I, wretched sinner, come to Thee…”

I digress, but you see what I mean.  And to have these things “force fed” to children is nothing short of child abuse.  Children need to hear words of love and encouragement.  Not words of hellfire and damnation…and especially that they are pitiful sinful creatures in need of some help!!  The only thing that religions truly purport to do is try to “fix” people.  But do we actually need fixing?  Hell no!  We need love, security, peace, and unity.  And that DOES NOT require a belief in any type of god whatsoever.  Even the “so-called” atheistic religion of Buddhism encourages people to follow the “Eightfold Path to Enlightenment.”  That path urges you to comprehend Karma, but what is Karma?  Just a complicated theory that, in the end, tells you that the problems you face are your OWN fault.  This excerpt is from Buddha Net:

“According to Buddhism, this inequality is due not only to heredity, environment, nature and nurture, but also to Karma.  In other words, it is the result of our own past actions and our own present doings.  We ourselves are responsible for our own happiness and misery.  We create our own Heaven.  We create our own Hell. We are the architects of our own fate.”

Well, so much for the 8 year old sexually molested and burned in the face with a crack pipe by her uncle (sign o’ the times).  It’s her own damn fault!  She must have been a real bitch in a past life!  And if you think about this…the concept of Karma is just as sick and offensive as Original Sin.  Well, so much for Holocaust survivors, Africans brought over in the slave trade, the many who died in the Inquisitions, and so forth.  They all must have been some really fucked up sinners in some life to get THAT fate, huh??  Obviously!  They got what they deserved.

The awe-inspiring “Buddha” was born Prince Siddhartha Gautama around 563 BCE (I use BCE…Before the Common Era instead of BC).  He was the son of a king, and he was raised as a spoiled rich brat.  He played in his fathers whorehouse until he was 29.  He then decided to become a “wandering ascetic” who was searching for the solution to the problems of death and human suffering.  After six years of wondering through the wilderness, he achieved (according to him, and we only have HIS word on this matter) supreme enlightenment at the age of 35.  Well, great for the Buddha!  Wasn’t he the best ever?  But where’s the humility?  Isn’t it fortunate that the very ideas about Karma explain the Buddha’s OWN noble birth?!  His previous lives must have been just as awesome as his current one.

Of course, the apologetics ALWAYS come around to say some bull shit like, “You’re taking that out of context,” or “Jesus didn’t REALLY mean this,” or “Muhammed didn’t REALLY mean that all infidels should be killed.”  I usually follow a simple rule of logic.  If you didn’t MEAN something, why did you say it?

Ancient superstitions…and that’s EXACTLY what they are…stand in the way of us making the world better TODAY.  Why would I give a rat’s ass about Earth when Muhammed said I would get 100 virgins in heaven??  It’s that same thought process that leads people to fly planes into buildings, to blow up subways, not care as much about the environment, and to try to speed up “so-called” apocalyptic scenarios.  Instead of planning for some inane life AFTER death, why not enjoy the beauty that is all around us?  This world and each other is all that we have.  Truth, freedom, love, peace, unity, and helping our fellow man should be the hallmarks that we strive for.  And I don’t need a god to tell me that.

© 2010 TheBlackGayInfidel

Crist to GOP: Fuck You

It’s official…Charlie Crist is going to DITCH the ReThuglican Party, and run as an independent in the Florida Senate race.

First off…way to go Charlie!  Thanks for realizing FINALLY what the GOP is, and blazing your own path for success.

But, there is a much LARGER issue here.  The issue here is the ability (or non-ability) of the GOP getting back into the good graces of the American public.  And sweet Mary and Joseph..the shit is not happening.

Let’s take a look, shall we?  Since Obama has been in office, the GOP has been in the WILDERNESS.  Losing elections left and right.  Why?  Because Americans SEE the how Bush and the ReThuglicans almost destroyed the American economy.  Americans SEE all the lies, party bull shit, and overall IGNORANCE to the plight of the American people.

On top of all of this, you have the Tea Partiers…the ones in the GOP who tout the “real” conservative values.  Now, let’s not forget all the racist things that have been going on at theses so called “tea parties” as well.  When you add that to the mix, you have a ReThuglican Party on the meltdown, and a FACTION of the party shouting white angst because a black man is in power.

Now, would you want to run on that ticket??

I think not…

But…it’s just not on the ReThuglicans and Tea Party people…its ON YOU!!  THE VOTER!!

Case in point…picture this.  A white, rural, poor family living in a trailer park in West Virginia.  Now also picture this…a black, urban, poor family living in the projects.  What’s the difference?  Nothing except the color of the skin.  Both families would benefit from health care reform.  Both families would benefit from a green jobs bill.  Both families would benefit from more regulation of wall street.  So why is the rural, poor, white family so QUICK to vote for the GOP, when the GOP has proven time and time again that they DO  NOT have the best interest of the voter in mind?

Why would you vote for a party that’s going to deny you health care?  Why would you vote for a party that’s hinging on keeping you out of work and out of pocket so they can keep more for themselves and the big corporations they work for?  Why?  Why?  Why?

People need to wake up!  And they need to start figuring out things for themselves.  If I had been out of work for almost a year…COBRA about to run out…medical bills lining up…do you think I want to vote for a party or idea that’s going to deny me the VERY things that can help me?

To all of the GOP, Tea Partiers, and everybody else that’s against America becoming the land that it should be…I think the words “Fuck You” should about sum it up.

© 2010 TheBlackGayInfidel