Pastor Advises Punching Toddlers to Keep Them From Becoming Gay

Actually, homosexuality wasn't a big deal at all in most ancient societies and much of our antipathy is more recent or based in Jewish traditions, but I do see your point. I am quite amazed at the rapid pace in which gays have been accepted by the mainstream.

 

Especially the ancient Greeks, though those relationships were, ummmm, complex to say the least.

 

Yep, and the Romans had a totally different view of sexuality, too. Gay or straight was irrelevant, power and dominance was. Being gay was not bad, but being catcher definitely could be if you were of higher status.

 

greeks and romans (and to some degree asian cultures) that basically covers the entire spectrum of civilizations that were ok with it and even then it was seen as something some hetero men did every once in a while in private rather than people being ok with open homosexuality. i'm a ok with it being in the "mainstream," but it's not accurate to say we are back to where we were 2000 years ago.

 

Sailed out to a couple of reefs and did some snorkeling. Want to learn how to scuba dive.

 

No, that's not the only ones, either. Native American societies and many African ones, as well. You could throw in India, also, to an extent.

 

No, classic civilizations didn't give a shit. Sparta even enshrined it as part of the path to manhood. It is obvious in relics and art from the time. Claims to the contrary are revisionist history.

 

The Pastor is now saying it was a misunderstanding.

Anyone that stays in that guys church is a bigger fool than he his.

 

Actually, he said he screwed up, said stuff he shouldn't have said, and apologized.

Don't know anything about his background or what he's said before, but to date it sounds like he doesn't make a regular habit of saying stuff like this. And I guess if he does then we'll know about it within two weeks.

 

i agree when talking about the actual act, but i do not agree as to the lifestyle. you said it yourself. "a path to manhood." manhood meaning what? [uck fay]ing women, having a family. not living with another man openly as husband and husband.

 

Was thinking Greeks were cool with it but Romans (at least in certain periods) were not.

 

They were cool with it until christianity, so long as it didn't violate social hierarchy

 

One point not mentioned: I read an article on Yahoo where the pastor was explaining that he was preaching a sermon to encourage those in attendance to support an upcoming vote to make only hetero marriages legal in North Carolina. That's how the issue of slapping effiminate children came up. Is this a violation of that church's tax-exempt status by engaging in politics? Or, does that standard not apply to referendums of this type? Serious question.

Let me explain a bit why I ask. I detest going to church and having to sit through a bunch of political bs. I firmly believe in the separation of church and state. If I wanted to hear about politics. I would go to a political rally or would have stayed home to watch some of the endless Sunday morning news shows geared towards politics. I go to church to worship, not to campaign.

 

I'm sure Caligula was down with gay animal sex and what not, but I think a little homophobia was around prior to Christianity. I'll look into it.

 

I don't think it was as much as it is being made to be, but I could be wrong.

 

It absolutely is a violation of the church's tax-exempt status. Any time churches decide to become political analysts like most of the conservative churches like to do, it absolutely violates their tax-exempt status.

 

First of all, I'm pretty sure liberal churches do the same. As a matter of fact, the only church to ever have the status revoked for doing so was a church in NYC (I think) that went to far with Clinton in 92.

Second, I was referring to the sermon itself not being a political rally as much as it is made to be.

I made have a third point but I am researching it right now because I can't remember the answer off the top of my head.

 

Are you saying that only one church has ever had its tax exempt status removed? I'm fairly sure that's not accurate at all. Second, to pretend his sermon isn't political is also ludicrous. For example, he references the North Carolina law about gay marriage ban in his retraction. For example, this is how the speech was portrayed by the outlets reporting Harris' retraction of the sermon:

 

Interesting. Seems like you'd have a hard time penalizing a church for issues like that. I guess he shouldn't have specifically mentioned the pending law.

 

Im not entirely sure a church cant take a stance on social issues. Somewhere in my mind i seem to recall that they can.