Day of Silence

[Mariah]

Just wondering, are any Nerdfighters participating in the Day of Silence? (If you don't know what that is, check out www.dayofsilence.org).

A bunch of people at my school are doing it, so I was just curious as to other schools and such.

[Jenn]

I did not know about this. Thanx for bringing this to my attention! I don't go to school but I'll have to see if people are participating at my niece's school.

[ashlyntheonly]

I HEARD ABOUT THAT AND IT IS SOOOOOOOOO GAY...LOL...IF YOU CATCH MY DRIFT....THAT IS SOOOO STUPID...IM STRAIGHT WHY NOT TAKE A DAY OF SILENCE FOR ME....HUGS NOT DRUGS...HUGS NOT HOMOSEXUALS!!!!!!


GO JESUS...WWJD....JESUS LOVES YOU!!!!!!♥

[Jenn]

What would Jesus do? Are you kidding me? I am tired of people using that phrase to feel better about themselves. Jesus would not laugh out loud at the imperfections of others. Jesus would not condone a 12-year-old boy getting shot to death because of his shortcomings. In fact, Jesus would probably pray and weep for the boy and others like him, just as he prayed that the men who tortured and eventually killed him be forgiven. Perhaps you should re-evaluate your outlook on the man who died for your sins.

***I apologize if I have offended anyone. Being unbiased toward the sexuality of others, I hated to imply that being different meant that one is more imperfect than others but that is how some people think. And as a side note, being an atheist who has studied Christian theology, I can't stand when people speak of what they do not know.***

[Lindsay Claire]

Amazing. I don't think anyone could have responded better.

[Adam the Alien]

No, you've got it spot on. I say this as a Christian who gets very, very frustrated when so many Christians completely miss the point of Christianity.

I've was never able to participate in The Day of Silence, because the years I was aware of it, I was involved in theatre and/or journalism - both of which involve tasks that can't be accomplished if I'm not talking.

However, I think it would be awesome if we, as Nerdfighters, had a YouTube Day of Silence movement - make completely silent videos with themes of tolerance and acceptance. Anyone up for something along those lines?

[Jenn]

Thanks. Yeah, how simple-minded some people can be toward others just really irritates me. Persecuting people for their sexual orientation is in my eyes like lynching someone for being black or protesting at the burial of a soldier. Whether they prefer someone of the same sex is nobody's business but their own (...and God's, if that's what you believe).

[Maria D]

absolutely fabulous response!
I'm catholic (which most other christian denominations don't view as christian, dumb f***s that they are. and no, I WON'T apologize for that, considering how many "christians" have called me a satanist over my religion) and while i believe strongly in god and jesus, i believe that our sins are taken up with him/her/whatever. my mom is a church musician and while we're catholic, most of her work in the church has come from protestant churches. most of you read from the old testament. I rarely ever heard a thing from the new testament unless it was christmas or easter. some of you are essentially just jews for jesus! Jesus hung out with criminals and whores and lepers, the people whom good god-fearing folks hated.

i think if jesus were alive today, he'd have of a rainbow belt, marching in a gay pride parade. not because he's gay, but because they are human beings being treated unfairly. Humans are humans. Some of them are awesome and some of them suck, and in my experience, sexual orientation has NOTHING to do with whether or not they're a good person. jesus said be good to one another. so the next time you ask WWJD?, remember that; that he said to be good to our fellow man for we are all children of god. and unless you've got a pope-phone that lets you talk to God mano a mano and he/she/it told you explicitly that gays are going to hell, shut up. the bible was written by human beings, and human beings are notorious for talking out of their ass.

i saw this thread and immediately signed up. I'm not gay but I spent most of middle school accused of being a lesbian, or "dyke" as they so kindly called me back then. nobody has the right to degrade another human over such a small part of the summation of their personality.

I am sorry to non-catholic christians who aren't among the catholic bashers. but you have no idea how much hell i've caught throughout the years for my branch of the faith from people who have no idea what a catholic service is even like. yes catholicism has some serious faults and i don't agree with everything catholic doctrine says, but so does every other religion. we follow what feels right. but when you start using your faith to validate persecuting others, in no way does that follow what jesus said. if you're a christian, read the new testament and do what jesus said. old testament is not what christianity is supposed to be about.

[showersinger34]

i'm hoping that your "jews for jesus" remark was not meant to be anti-semitic. actually, i'm assuming that it wasnt, since you seem to be made of awesome.

[Maria D]

NO the jews for jesus thing wasn't meant to be anti-semitic! i tried to edit some of my rant once i'd cooled down, but my internet connection fizzled out on me while it was loading. this is the universe smacking me for shooting my mouth off when i'm angry XP my mom is friends with a jewish couple who have a lesbian daughter, and the whole family is made of awesome. I love studying philosophy and the husband, who is rabbi, has invited me to their synagogue on numerous occasions and i've always been welcomed with open arms. they are my aunt barb and uncle roger. i love them a lot. the jews for jesus thing stems from a brand of christians i seem to frequently encounter who can quote jesus, but have no idea of the contest in which it was said, but they know all about the old testament. Leviticus seems to be a favorite. the problem is most of these christians take the books as fact, not realizing that after 5,000 years of history, the jewish community still debates what many of texts really mean in relation to their lives. I actually got to be part of a rabbinical debate once: it was intense, and one of the most fun experiences i've ever had!

So i sincerely apologize that it came across as anti-semitic. I also apologize to any christians who take offense to what i said. it was not meant quite as harshly as it came across. oh i still have a lot of resentment, and while i'm working through it, it's gonna take a while, but religion plays as little a part in the whole of a person as sexual orientation, and to single out any religion as better or worse than the other would make me a hypocrite of massive proportions.

Man, one of these days I'm gonna figure out how to write a short post.

[showersinger34]

haha! i'm sure it wasnt meant to be mean. youre awesome! and man, can those rabbinical debates get intese, or what? i think my entire religion is based around arguing. i love it!

[Adam the Alien]

Man, your mom gets work from churches vastly different from the ones I've been to. Can't let a Sunday go by without two or three readings - one of which is always New Testament.

I'm not Catholic, but I've never understood the people who say Catholics aren't Christian. That doesn't make any sense at all, especially since Catholicism was one of the three main belief systems for first century Christianity, and is the very reason it's spread as much as it has. It's also the root of Protestant Christianity - like it or not, the Protestant denominations are branched off from Catholicism, and you can still see Catholicism's influence in their history and - to at least some degree - in their modern forms.

[Maria D]

someone with a brain!! thankyou! you are most DEFINITELY made of awesome.

the church we just left- had to move- was a protestant denomination, and it was a wonderful environment; what everyone has always told me churches are supposed to be like. they've done a lot to ease my resentment and i miss them a lot. the church we'd worked at before was bigoted, prejudiced, and downright cruel. the congregation was an exclusive social club for families that had been there for generations. i was not welcomed in the youth activities because i wouldn't convert, and almost every choir rehearsal involved my mom having to defend her intelligence, faith, and background (my mom's heritage is primarily italian and south american).

we would have left after the first years contract was up, but my mom was in the middle of working on her doctorate and there was no other job available which paid that well and still allowed her the hours to continue her studies and research her dissertation. my parents had a very nasty divorce and my father could barely be depended upon to pay child support on time, let alone give some additional support. this church came at the end of a string of unpleasant church environs and unpleasant "church" people. the whole situation left me very bitter. I'm better now (REALLY!), but as a result, I have minimum patience for people who use their religion as an excuse for stupidity and cruelty which stems from something within themselves that has little if nothing to do with god, jesus, faith, or religion.

and i'm STILL failing to write short posts!