Homosexual 'depravity' in Krakow
I returned from a relaxing family Christmas in Brussels followed by an idyllic New Year in the Polish mountains to be met in Krakow on my journey back to Warsaw by this:
Even the non-Polish speakers among you will have got the general idea: Stop homosexual depravity, stop deviant behaviour, stop promotion of homosexuality in Poland, etc etc.This wasn't even a lone poster. It was one of about twenty or so lining a walkway to Krakow's main train station. I was shocked.
The poster is a reaction to an 'excessive' number of homosexual tolerance events and lists the offending activities as a march in May 2004, a conference in January 2005 and the march at the end of November 2005. The organisation behind the posters is rather unsurprisingly a Catholic one which I find deeply sad.
It never ceases to amaze me that 'religious' people can be so intolerant and selectively discriminatory.
posted by Becca @ 11:15 am
7 Comments:
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Don't be too surprised by the church's attitude. The point of organized religion is to keep people together on political issues, and to control them. Personally, I am an atheist, but I have many friends and family members who are believers, and of whom I respect. I do not try to force my beliefs on them, and they act in a similar fashion.
The new Pope is an arch-conservative who--before election--was well-known to be anti-gay. As an existing homosexual, I can only feel pity for such a person. To live a life of hatred and bigotry leads only to a negative Judgement in the end, according to the Bible.
As an American, I see the world changing throughout my life, some to the better, some to the worse; I cannot claim to know the final outcome, but I can make an effort to push toward the better, and so can you.
The web site of that religious 'foundation' is no one page rubbish. They have taken a lot of care, with lots of pages and links, and it is all dedicated to what they see as the biggest threat to Poland since Stalin. I bet, in their version of Revelations one of the Four Men of the Apocalypse is wearing a pink boa and calls his horse Sabastian! So forget war, forget hunger, forget poverty. Gays are now Polish Polish Catholic Enemy unmber one and harbringers of doom.
I think should get a life.
Even with my level of Polish I could tell they meant business. It seems like such an unbelievable waste of money, not to mention abominable lack of perspective to dedicate so much effort to a homophobic campaign like this one.
Your man of the Apocalypse made me laugh Beatroot :)
Perhaps now Polish homosexuals will be fleeing to Spain?
The point of organized religion is to keep people together on political issues, and to control them.
Don't you think that's the kind of sweeping generalizations we should avoid? I grew up participating in an organized religion, consider myself religious and a Christian (no, I'm not a Catholic), and never felt pressured to mix my political with my religious views. Nor do I feel controlled - but perhaps I was brainwashed. Still, the range of political views at my church was healthily diverse.
The truth is that organized religion intends to offer a society and community (that's keeping people together yes, but not necessarily on political issues) by which the members can support each other not only financially, physically, or emotionally, but also spiritually. A lot of people believe that life is better with such spiritual support - and I'm one of them.
Let's be clear (and Becca and beatroot can vouch for me) - my views on homosexuality and its place in society is right in line with everyone who's posted here. I just don't feel that contradicts my religious beliefs.
Unfortunately, there are members of the Catholic Church who (in my view) have forgotten the mission of their organization. And indeed, that happens more often than we'd like it in many religions. But to ascribe the fault of some of these religions' members to organized religion as a whole amounts to a prejudice just as bad as that of which we chide others for maintaining.
When homosexuals stand up and publicly state their feelings on sexuality, they are applauded, protected, ignored by those not interested, supported by various government officials, etc. When anyone else gets up to say that they do NOT agree with the practice of homosexuality (be they Christians, Jewish, Budhist, any other type or organized religion OR someone with no religion who just simply does not agree with it), they are told they are homophobic. Personally, I am not afraid of homosexuals (ie, phobic), nor do I ever bash them, verbally or physically. I would definitely defend a homosexual (the same as any other victim) if I ever saw one being mistreated. However, I do NOT agree with the practice of homosexuality. I have that right. I do not have to conform to society's most popular beliefs of the day. I should not ever have to keep this opinion to myself, because someone else's value system doesn't agree with mine.
I do not know what the poster says, as I can not read it. If it says to STOP homosexual behaviour and lists the activities you mentioned, I see nothing wrong with that. It is called freedom of speech. If it says hurtful, insulting, hateful comments that might make any homosexual fear for their safety in any way, shape, or form, then it is not acceptable.
I find the comment "It never ceases to amaze me that 'religious' people can be so intolerant and selectively discriminatory" interesting. Homosexuals, and many other members of the public, are often intolerant of my freedom of thought as soon as I say that I do not believe homosexuality to be the natural purpose that God intended for this earth. Remember, these are God's intentions, clearly spelled out in the bible. Not mine. I would be a hyprocrite if I were to say that I were a Christian but at the same time were to say that I were to disregard God's word when it was convenient for me.
Tolerance tolerates anything but intolerance of what it tolerates. A hypocrisy, an oxymoron at best. Perhaps we should stop either being or pretending to be shocked when people react vocally against not what occurs behind closed doors, but what is part of the 20-21st century cultural transformations which don't encourage merely tolerance vis a vis the cessation of violence when it does occur, but quite the opposite, the forced adoption of new ideology by those who do not agree, on moral grounds no less, through the use of humiliation by boxing up the opposition or conveniently labeling them into categories such as "backwards", "crotchety" and "un-hip". It's all very passive aggressive, esp. when it is flaunted.
And let's be serious --- the bug fuss with gay parades is really laughable. Why would anyone in their right mind respect a group of people determined to look like a ship of fools and idiots? If a group of heterosexuals were to hold such a parade, they would be the laughing stock of society, a bunch of weirdos. Why should a different standard be applied here? Why should we be shamed into "respecting" behavior that deserves no respect? It's the tyranny of the absurd.
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