I am happy.

[jedusor]

Reasons why:

-Two people said really nice things to me today.
-I feel like I'm not sucking at tutoring English.
-Six weeks into the semester, I have a reputation in the Spectrum office for being a good proofreader, and Craig is adding me to the editing process of the articles.
-I think I did well on my French test today.
-I may be going to St. Louis and meeting crazybutsound (who lives in France) in May.
-I may have a ride to St. Louis, so I'd only have to pay train fare one direction.
-Ann's birthday is on Thursday, so she's getting her driver's license, and no one who has heard her talk about it can possibly keep the happiness from rubbing off.
-I have permission forms for the lockin.
-Emily, the librarian that everybody loved but who left the Plaza library, is going to be at the lockin, and according to Lis, she's pregnant.
-I had good bus fu today.
-That pasta salad I made yesterday is damn tasty.
-Mirrormask was a fairly enjoyable movie. Does anyone else who knows vito_excalibur think the main character looks like a younger version of her?
-I just bleached my little brother's hair, and we'll probably be dying it green tomorrow.
-I am wearing the most comfortable clothes I own. I also think I look good in them. I'm tempted to buy a bunch of these pants and shirts and wear them all the time. (The shirt was even free.)

I've been thinking lately about the different forms in which homophobia presents itself. There are two basic types of it that I've seen: "That's wrong/evil/sinful" and "ewww, gross." I know people who fall into both categories, and I prefer the latter. When someone has been around homosexuality and known normal people who happen to be gay, the reaction of disgust tends to diminish. I have friends who are like that; people I like and respect in general, but who haven't grown up around gay people and are thus uncomfortable with them. Many of them profess to be okay with homosexuality, but still cringe around it.

I have less experience with religious bias, simply because I choose not to expose myself to it whenever possible. (Meaning not that I ignore it, but that I try not to interact with that type of person.) However, I have witnessed it to some extent, and I honestly don't know how to argue with it. I do think that the Bible condemns homosexuality. I know that some people, including many Christians, disagree, but I think it's obvious. I can hold my own in a Bible debate- I've found the comparison of gays to women in the Bible to be particularly effective- but I feel kind of stupid, like I'm arguing with these people on their own level. I don't like it at all, but I don't know what else to do when I see people being ridiculous because of their religion. I can't just leave them to their prejudices. My brain doesn't work like that.

I don't really have a point to this, I'm just rambling. Please feel free to share any thoughts.

Comments

[hannahrorlove.livejournal.com]

I prefer to say bus mojo, myself.

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

That has a nice ring to it.

[palecur.livejournal.com]

I'm more of a moho (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohorovicic_Discontinuity)phobe, personally.

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

That's hilarious!

[androidlovesong.livejournal.com]

This morning I and two of my friends were playing around in first hour, play-acting a melodrama.

"Star," I declaimed, "How could you possibly betray Paloma's ever-reaching love? Her lustful lesbianism shines out of her eyes like two brilliant lava lamps! It moves my soul." this continued at some length. The three of us, particularly Paloma and I, are renowned for such platonic groping.

The other half of the room, though, was not so amused.
"That's so wrong," said one girl. "I am so serious when I say that all gay people should die. God should kill them dead, right now."
Of course that kind of killed our mood, but Paloma rallied with "Well, you know what homophobia really means about you..." but the girl cut in again.
"If I were a lesbian, I would kill myself." she said. Her friends chorused their agreements.

Sometimes I really hate my cowboytown.

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

You know, people like that can't call themselves Christian. Jesus Christ, or the idea of him, is actually a pretty nifty dude. Be nice to each other, get along, don't hold grudges... these are good ideas. Homey Jesus would never have said to kill any group of people. He might have tried to convert them to his religion, but he wouldn't have wanted them to die.

Reminds me of the bumper sticker I saw the other day: I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are not like your Christ.

(BTW, you have friends named Star and Paloma? That's pretty effing awesome.)

[mh75.livejournal.com]

I think this is your argument for those biblical believers -- the spirit of christianity does not condemn homosexuality, even if the literal word of the bible does. The literal word of the bible says a lot of things that are not applicable to the modern world, but good christians adapt.

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

That leads to the argument about the literal truth of the Bible, though, and I hate that argument.

[androidlovesong.livejournal.com]

(Well actually they're best friends whom I butted my friendship into, and Paloma's parents seem to be trying for Weirdest/Coolest Names EVER award in naming their children - her brother is Amadeus - while no-one actually knows Star's real name. I do also have a friend named Jabba, though. He goes by J.)

[vito-excalibur.livejournal.com]

You have a friend named Jabba.

Did his parents not like him?

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

That icon kicks so much ass.

[androidlovesong.livejournal.com]

Assumedly. His sister got off with 'Tristain'.

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

I wish my name was Amadeus.

[vito-excalibur.livejournal.com]

Which means, "to love God."

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

Really? I didn't know that.

Maybe if I have a kid, I'll name it Amadeus just for the irony.

[shoutingboy.livejournal.com]

'I have less experience with religious bias, simply because I choose not to expose myself to it whenever possible. (Meaning not that I ignore it, but that I try not to interact with that type of person.)'

But do you always recognize those people when you see them?

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

Absolutely not. Sometimes I can tell (i.e. at the Sunday war protests I attend occasionally, where people's views are usually quite clear) but I generally try as hard as I can not to judge from appearance or from a person's other views.

[vito-excalibur.livejournal.com]

1) Nah.
2) Green? Wow. {sniff} He's all grown up! Pictures?
3) That's a lot of good things! That's great.
4) I am not qualified to argue from the religious perspective; I know this, so I try to take Dr. King's approach of "It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important." (http://www.mlkonline.net/quotes.html) I feel much more comfortable talking about how religious preferences notwithstanding, in a civil diverse society people are equal under the law etc. etc. I will leave it to folks like the Slacktivist (http://slacktivist.typepad.com/) & the Real Live Preacher (http://www.reallivepreacher.com/) to argue with the religious on their own terms. They will do it better than I would.

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

1. You do! I was thinking it the whole movie.
2. Oh, I'll definitely put up pics ^_^
3. Yep! Usually I have a crappy day after one as good as that, but today's been pretty good too, so far.
4. I've seen some of the Real Live Preacher's writing, mostly on gomichan's journal. Sometimes it's good, but sometimes I want to roll my eyes and walk away just as much as I do with people who disagree with me. Again, it's that "arguing with them on their level" thing I don't like.

[vito-excalibur.livejournal.com]

OMG cute icon!

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

Thanks! That one's from last summer, before I even had my piercing. I love the pic, though, so I still use it.

[xthread.livejournal.com]

Our cousin Vito looks nothing like the girl in Mirrormask.
After all, the girl is fifteen or so, and Vito is older, at least physically.
And the girl has really dark, sometimes kinda spiky hair, and Vito has... er, wait.
Umm, the girl says she gets called 'acerbic' a bunch and Vito says...
Hrrm. This isn't working out right. Let me look at this drawing she handed me...
'I don't want to join the circus.'h
Ok, that's it, Vito, where were you during the fall of 2004 when Mirrormask was being made?
You can't remember...
I thought so. jedusor, well done. Another of Vito's dastardly schemes thwarted by...
Hey, wait a minute. Whose side are you on, anyway?

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

You never fail to both amuse and confuse me.

[xthread.livejournal.com]

<bows>
Tenk you, tenk you.

No one expects the Flemish Inquisition!