[Jeff Higgins]

Originally posted by nostatic
no you can't. and we love you just the way you are.

Todd, you're a pretty darn sharp guy, but this is about the only part of this one you got right.

The church is a joke. A bad, dangerous, sick joke.

The church is nothing of the kind. It is very much missunderstood, and that is what leads to this perception. The church has arguably done more good on this planet than any other single entity. And please, don't parade out the millenia old Crusades and other abuses; nor the whack-jobs that claim to be a church.

If everyone is "disordered", then they should come out and say that. But they don't.

Uh, which church do you attend? I've been attending church all of my life. The resounding message in all of them is that yes, we are all, in fact, "disordered". No one's particular "disorder" is seen as any "better" or "worse" than anybody else's. Every Christian I know (and I bet I know a hell of a lot more of them than you do) sees their own shortcomings. They do not place gays or anyone else (mass murderers, for example) "lower" than themselves .

This is probably the single trait that non-Christians find the most difficult to understand. Everyone else "ranks" offenses and offenders - child molestors are worse than petty thieves. Christians do not. Most non-Christians take some solace in finding others "worse" than themselves. "Hey, I may cheat on my taxes, but at least I don't club baby seals", or something like that. Christians do not do this. They understand everyone is in the same boat in God's eyes; there is no "my faults are not as bad as his" mentality.

Instead they bury heterosexual issues and instead focus on a conveninet flash point where they know that fear and loathing can breed.

No, it's only that this is the kind of stuff that makes headlines. People outside of the church know this is a hot-button issue, so they are eager to report it. They know folks' ears prick up when they hear it. Then they spread the word to these folks, who have no other exposure to the church, who then wind up thinking this is all the church ever talks about. The church is not nearly that focused or exclusive: they bad-mouth everybody.

Porn exists mostly because of the churches. The ridiculous puritanical views on sex drive the growth of than industry. You think only perverts are buying that stuff? How many "Christians" here go to titty bars? Or post pictures of scantily clad women here on the board?

Another widely held myth about the church and its members is their views on sex. Yes, they teach it is best left to married men and women. It's pretty wide open from there. I'm sure less (self-professed) "uptight" folks just love their little mental images of those poor Christians, doing it in the dark, under the covers, missionary position, and only when absolutely necessary to reproduce. Maybe they feel "naughtier" thinking their uptight Christian neighbor would be shocked at how they carry on in bed. If they only knew just what their neighbor really did in bed...

And yes, Christians go to titty bars. There's a pretty good one just a few miles north of me. And yes, Christians read porn. Post photos of hot babes, and enjoy them as much as the next man. Yup, they cheat on their taxes. Probably speed every now and again. Take more than 10 items to the express lane. You name it. There is no "hypocrisy" in that they readily admit to all of those things, and much more.

The double standard reeks worse than a Beijing public bathroom...

No double standard exists within the church. It may appear that way to those of you that have no idea what the church is all about. The fact is that they discuss men's weaknesses pretty frankly, and don't even hint that one may be worse than another. That they discuss these things out of genuine concern for their fellow man. I guess it makes the non church-going public feel better in some way to blow it all off as a bunch of pompous holier-than-thou asses spouting hypocritical hatred. It is nothing of the kind. But, if it makes you feel better while you are banging some cheap underage Chinese whore, more power to you.