Where's Your Messiah Now?

A study finds that, when it comes to illness, the power of prayer is no damn good at best, and possibly deleterious, at worst.

In other news, researchers are still working to verify whether the Earth is 6,000 years old.

Comments

[Gus]

Lightning bolt, inbound!

[Jack Malebranche]

I'm somewhat suprised that there isn't a minor upswing. Power of positive thinking and all. If I have a 'belief' it would be that the mind has a profound effect on the body, and a lot of other things seem to back that up.

Lightning bolt, inbound!

I wouldn't hold my breath. If I didn't get nailed (so to speak) for this, God either doesn't exist or totally appreciates black humor.

[Queer Conservative]

Jack, you bad, bad boy.

[Jack Malebranche]

I do try.

[PatrickP]

Where's Your Messiah Now?

I know that my Redeemer lives.

[Mark]

Sad. So sad that people can be so lost.

Jack, the image you linked is unbelievably, unjustifiably offensive. Why would you want to give people the impression that gays are godless like that?

It's stuff like that that makes Christians think this sounds just about right:

...the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse; for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles.

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameful acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error.

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct. They were filled with all (kinds of) unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, and malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity, they are gossips, backbiters, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, implacable, unmerciful. Though they know God’s decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them but approve those who practice them. (Romans 1:18-32)

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral (fornicators), nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals [two different Greek words are used here denoting the different roles of the active partner and the passive partner in homosexual behavior], nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

[Robbie]

Homosexual never appears in the Bible. Also, lots of condemnations of sexual behavior were specifically directed against the Bacchinalian festivals at the time which were actually quite damaging to Roman society, and were probably condemned with some justification.

Comparing that to the modern world is just plain silly. We're quite a bit different 2000 years later.

Don't make me go over Bible translations, please. It's far too early in the morning and I've only had one cup of coffee =(

[Malcontent]

Mark: Lots of people believe in voodoo too. Just because you have a book with some nice stories and your apparently unquestioning "faith," it doesn't mean that you won't be food for worms in the end.

I live my life as a good person. If there is a God, and he wants to condemn me for how he created me, then there's not much I can do about it. I'm not gonna run around telling everyone I was "born again" out of some misplaced fear.

And whatever happened to "God is love"?

[anapestic]

If you think through what would be involved with actually being born again, you realize it would be pretty gross. I'm just saying.

[Queer Conservative]

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11.1

[Patrick]

If it's consensual, like, it's OK, right? In Jack's painting, Christ is in ecstasy, like a moment of bliss! In my interpretation of the picture, Jack's Christ totally wants it. He definitely looks like he likes cum on his face. In that case, there's nothing wrong with it. Seriously. Am I wrong here?

For real, I think the only thing these scientific testing things prove is that people are like, out of control. But people will believe in the power of prayer, positive thinking or whatever you want to call it, and I think that's great! Don't you think it's necessary for well being to maintain a positive outlook on life and its possibilities? I know I do. I've written songs about it. Well, co-written. Well I was there when they were written, but anyway I do. Hell, I'm still married to Kevin. That's a miracle! Real basically, you can't rely on prayer/positivity to cure the ills of the world. It makes no difference, so what's the point? That's just stupid! It's like, a-duh! In the good ol' U.S. of Apathy, it means I need not pray but get off my butt and do something! Like sue a South Korean songwriter for stealing the music from my song, "Do Something".

P.S. Wasn't I great on W&G last night?

[LikeOMGFab]

Mal and Robbie- I think I love your Republican asses!

By the way, Patrick, call me sometime, wontcha? *wink*

[Malcontent]

"For I say woe unto thee who rely on faith alone, for thine hath thy reason and logic verily forsaketh."
— 1 Malcontent 2:7

[Jack Malebranche]

Jack, the image you linked is unbelievably, unjustifiably offensive. Why would you want to give people the impression that gays are godless like that?

Should I really go there? I'm thinking it's too easy. But what the Hell.

Mark, if you really think about the painting, it portrays Jesus as a masochist in excstasy. Christianity is essentially masochistic. Self-sacrifice and supplication for the promise of being a happy bootlicker for the rest of eternity. It's the enshrined mentality of an enslaved, marginalized people.

With homosexuals, increase masochism by a factor of 5.

Unjustified? Have you cracked a history book, or watched the news lately? If any group has a righteous beef with Jesus Harold Christ, it's homos. Homosexuality may or may not be explicitly referred to in the Bible, however, violence toward those who practice or have been accused of practicing homosexuality is an established and revered tradition of Christianity. At the very least, the omniscient one is guilty of grave sins of omission which more or less imply approval of said violence. 'Gays' are definitely not Jehovah's chosen people. Unless by chosen, you mean being rounded up, scapegoated, tortured and made bloody sacrifices to please an angry God and prevent catastrophy.

Look, I know you want to be as stupid and programmed as everyone else so that you can fit in and not hate yourself, and believing in imaginary people is a key to that for you, but quoting the book of the religion of slaves to a non-believer is pissing in the wind. I'm not lost, I'm just not a pathetic masochist.

Not that there's anything wrong with being a masochist; it's only pathetic if you can't admit that you like what you like.

On your knees!

[Queer Conservative]

There lives more faith in honest doubt, believe me, than in half the creeds.
-- Alfred, Lord Tennyson

[Aatom]

"Jack, the image you linked is unbelievably, unjustifiably offensive. Why would you want to give people the impression that gays are godless like that?"

um...because he's a Satanist maybe?

but Jack! "catastrophy"?? Spell check, man!

anecdotally, I have heard many positive gay men testify to the power of positive thinking, prayer, yoga, meditation, whatever on their health. And the interesting thing is that with HIV you can literally measure the impact that reducing stress has on you, by watching your t-cells and viral load. And I have heard too many people say that they have witnessed their counts get better, sometimes dramatically, by taking solid steps to reduce stress in their lives. If it's belief in a masochistic slave mentality messiah-cult that does it for you, then who am I to argue?

[Jack Malebranche]

I'm busy this morning. But that's no excuse.

Almighty Aatom, I humbly ask your forgiveness and await the holy degradation of your baby batter.

[Mark]

Sacred Scripture makes it clear that sex is reserved for mariage between a man and a woman. See here for examples: http://www.catholic.com/library/Homosexuality.asp

Even if you don't believe, which is your right, it is still offensive to make or distribute an image like the one of Jesus linked here.

I know of a certain "community" who would be up in arms if Christians went around painting images of Matthew Shephard burning in hell and went around snidely laughing about it on the Internet.

I'm not saying Matthew is in hell, by the way, I'm saying that idea would be something like what was done here, only not even close, as Christians worship Jesus as God (whether you believe that yourself, or not).

I know it is hard to show sensitivity to other people's feelings, much less their deeply held convictions, but try to step outside of personal prejudices, okay?

The gay community is not going to do itself any favors with Christians (and many would argue, God) by mocking Jesus like that. That image makes the gay community look godless, bacchanal,and vile. Is that how the community wants to be perceived?

Why would anyone want to give people something like that to point to in order to show the calloused revelry in sin, defilement, and even blasphemy that image represents to Christians?

[Robbie]

Well, what if I find your religion offensive? Doesn't really stop you from putting it out there, does it?

[Jack Malebranche]

Sacred Scripture makes it clear that sex is reserved for mariage between a man and a woman. See here for examples: http://www.catholic.com/library/Homosexuality.asp

Sacred to you, toilet paper to me.

Even if you don't believe, which is your right, it is still offensive to make or distribute an image like the one of Jesus linked here.

It's a legitimate response. No one has the right never to be offended. What are you, a Muslim?

I know of a certain "community" who would be up in arms if Christians went around painting images of Matthew Shephard burning in hell and went around snidely laughing about it on the Internet.

I assure you that I am not a member of that "community." I actually know people who have done Matthew Shepard spoofs.

I know it is hard to show sensitivity to other people's feelings, much less their deeply held convictions, but try to step outside of personal prejudices, okay?

To what end? Aren't beliefs and deeply held convictions essentially just personal prejudices with the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval?

The gay community is not going to do itself any favors with Christians (and many would argue, God) by mocking Jesus like that. That image makes the gay community look godless, bacchanal,and vile. Is that how the community wants to be perceived?

You say 'godless' like it's a bad thing. That would make us...rational?

Why would anyone want to give people something like that to point to in order to show the calloused revelry in sin, defilement, and even blasphemy that image represents to Christians?

It's only sin, defilement and blasphemy for you. For me, it's a pretty picture.

You are now, and always will be a bootlicking slave.

[Mark]

I spelled marriage wrong. Well, actually, it was a typo. Sorry.

I would be interested in hearing what you think of this article:
The Truth About the Homosexual Rights Movement
http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3650

[Queer Conservative]

Even if you don't believe, which is your right, it is still offensive to make or distribute an image like the one of Jesus linked here. - Mark

Yes, Mark - it is offensive. But you don't have a right not to be offended. Neither do I or anyone else. That's the price of a free society. Suck it up.

[Queer Conservative]

Besides, I think Christ is well aware of what it means to be mocked and scorned, rejected...I don't think he needs anyone to defend him from that, nor does he expect it.

[Queer Conservative]

I would be interested in hearing what you think of this article:
The Truth About the Homosexual Rights Movement
http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3650

I haven't read it yet, but given the source and the title, my first impression is that it's a load of a crap :-)

[Queer Conservative]

Yep. I was spot on. It's crap.