<p>BiggestFoot: Whoever you are, you are wrong about my post. The number of states passing laws to PROTECT LGBT people is increasing every year. There are also hundreds of city/local laws as well. Your focus on marriage rights is misguided and simplistic. My posts here are not to change your mind, only life experience will do that, but to prevent your misinformation about facts and laws from influencing others.</p>
<p>Wow, this thread has taken a depressing turn. Bigfoot & rightwing, I assume your both kids and probably a product of your environment/parents, etc., but I hope as you grow older you'll become a little more tolerant.</p>
<p>My understanding of the original post is that Deerfield students who belonged to an organization supporting gay rights were being targeted. It's not clear people being targeted are even gay, much less actively engaging in homosexual behavior, so in this case we're not talking about a group that "loves the sinner but hates the sin". These actions are targeting people, not behavior.</p>
<p>Moreover, I always find it fascinating when people justify they're hatred of another group on religious grounds - particularly when the object of their hatred are engaging in private consensual activity that hurts no one. Let's put aside for the moment whether a book that's a compendium of dozens of gospels written by men, over the period of hundreds of years, that's filled with contradictions and that was assembled by committee (you are aware that there are dozens of other contemporaneous "gospels" that are not part of the Bible) really is the WORD OF GOD. Even if we accept your basic premise (and the majority of the world does not), I am always amazed about how selective the religious right is in the "sins" it seems to obsess on. What are the central themes of the New Testament? Is it an obsessive focus on homosexuality? On sexual behavior at all? No. To me the two most distinguishing characteristics of Jesus are his focus on the poor, downtrodden and oppressed, and his pacificism. Isn't that the central theme of the New Testament - that we treat one another with love and respect?</p>
<p>Let's talk about the Old Testament. Any rules of behavior we can extract from that text? Does it hand down any "commandments" that we're supposed to live by? As I recall, there were ten. Do you know what they are? Anything about homosexuality? Premarital sex? Nope. What do they talk about? Killing another human being (that pacifism thing again). Stealing. Adultery (that's sex with someone other than your spouse once your married). Coveting your neighbors house and wife (Jealousy and adultery again). Honoring the Sabbath (btw, that means your trip to mall last Sunday violated one of the ten big ones). Honoring your parents (I'm sure no teenager's ever violated that commandment). Taking the name of the lord in vain. Yet, I don't see the religious right demanding that adultery be criminalized, or taking to the streets at the thought that I can go into a McDonalds on the Sabbath and have someone cook me up a Big Mac and large fries. </p>
<p>Oh, and btw, the ten commandments also talk about how all of us slaveowners need to give our slaves the day off on the Sabbath. I have little doubt that many good christians pointed to this language to argue that God wanted us to have slaves when that heathen Abe Lincoln was trying to abolish slavery.</p>
<p>Sorry for the long rant, but the bottom line is that there is nothing in Christianity, or any other religion worth its salt, that justifies hatred or intolerance, and those of you who purport to be Christian would be better served worrying about whether your own behavior conforms to your religion, rather than spending so much time worrying about what others are doing.</p>
<p>-Amen. Amen.</p>
<p>I made the point about the gospels in an earlier post but BiggestFoot ignored it. Too many right-wing evangelicals use the Chinese menu approach to the Bible: they only include the selections that fit their appetite. The importance of the life of Christ or the Old Testament is not the correct literal translation but whether you are using these inspirations from God to change how you act in this world. Where a man puts his ***** is not the cause of our most serious problems (unless you are referring to the rape of women by heterosexual men). What would Jesus do today is a legitimate question. My guess is that he would set Dubya straight first and then would work on other misguided souls like BiggestFoot.</p>
<p>Brooklyn.<br>
From your data: From your: <a href="http://www.hrc.org/documents/marriage_prohibit_20070919.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.hrc.org/documents/marriage_prohibit_20070919.pdf</a> it shows that 26 states have constitutional amendments and 19 states have state laws prohibiting same sex marriages (with 17 of these having broader laws prohibiting civil unions) and another 9 states considering such legislation. Almost all of these laws were passed in the last several years. </p>
<p>Almost 2/3 of the states do not prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (<a href="http://www.hrc.org/documents/Employment_Laws_and_Policies.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.hrc.org/documents/Employment_Laws_and_Policies.pdf</a>)</p>
<p>Only 14 states (NW and NE) have laws that addresses discrimination, harassment and/or bullying of students based on sexual orientation and gender identity</p>
<p>pp:
Fortunately, the majority of the world does accept that homosexual behavior is against God's will; from the Bible or the Qu'ran. The Qu'ran is a little more forgiving if they recant.</p>
<p>(SURA IV: 19-21 </p>
<ol>
<li><p>But whoso rebels against God and His Apostle, and transgresses His bounds, He will make him enter into fire, and dwell therein for aye; and for him is shameful woe. </p></li>
<li><p>Against those of your women who commit adultery, call witnesses four in number from among yourselves; and if these bear witness, then keep the women in houses until death release them, or God shall make for them a way. </p></li>
<li><p>And if two (men) of you commit it, then hurt them both; but if they turn again and amend, leave them alone, verily, God is easily turned, compassionate.)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Bible
Please go to: 1 Corinthians 6:9: Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." </p>
<p>Do some research on the Anscombe society which promotes "chastity and 'traditional' sexual and familial ethics" which is growing on American college and high school campuses.</p>
<p>the thing is the bible is black and white on this issue. There are no mistakes or no misinterpritations. I never meant to be intolerant all I meant to do was to clarify that it is a sin. If people want to sin im ok with that. Im not going to stop them.</p>
<p>rightwing.
I agree. You said it well. There can be no more argument after your post</p>
<p>*Please go to: 1 Corinthians 6:9: Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." *</p>
<p>And yet how much time do "christians" spend worrying about "thieves" or "the greedy" or "drunkards" or "slanderers" or "swindlers" or "adulterers" who by your definition are sinners all. Moreover, I would point out to you that when these individuals violate the supposed word of God their "sin" hurts others as well as themselves. Not true of two consenting homosexuals.</p>
<p>Again, I have no respect for those who try to justify their intolerance and bigotry as religious piety. Please feel free to get back to me when the religious right spends 1/5 the energy condemning "drunkards" and "the greedy" that they devote to the "sin" of homosexuality.</p>
<p>pp,
my reply could be likewise when the liberal left spends 1/10 the energy condemning drunkards and the greedy as they devote to 'oking' homosexuality. :)</p>
<p>biggestfoot and rightwing - I am convinced that going to boarding school might be the best thing that will ever happen to you!</p>
<p>Mr. Roger Dooley ... We need you here!!!
How about deleting this thread completely?</p>
<p>This discussion adds nothing to the forum.
Nobody is going to change their minds. </p>
<p>This discussion is going nowhere fast. This is a waste of time.
I have read the comments and it is down right silly. </p>
<p>Sad.</p>
<p>i disagree, NewD. i think it is good for people to hear both sides... and moral and ethical behavior is a big part of going to boarding school.</p>
<p>No, there is no value in this thread any longer. It should end.</p>
<p>I think perhaps closing, but NOT deleting this thread might be useful. A very important topic has indeed become a debate. As someone else already said, opinions are not likely be changed here. However, I do think that prospective applicants and parents can and will find value in being able to read this thread. Deleting it will destroy some very meaningful posts, especially some of those from this year's applicants.</p>
<p>Also, please note that I am declining to respond to BiggestFoot, despite his misinterpretation of statistics. As an adult, I don't need to justify the lives of millions of wonderful people in this world to a thirteen year-old. By declining to respond point by point, I hope that will encourage some closure on this issue. Even though I do always want to get the last word. :)</p>
<p>But, even if this thread is closed or ends, the issues of hatred, bigotry and intolerance throughtout society still will exist, and it is important that we all remember that.</p>
<p>I agree with BrooklynGuy.</p>
<p>OK: Topic Closed, please don't reply to this thread unless you have something to say about the actual response of Deerfield to the situation.</p>
<p>I agree that it should end. Especially as Brooklyn cannot respond to the statistics he posted :)</p>
<p>shutupppp.</p>
<p>Big------ot,</p>
<p>I have a question for you. You have stated that you are an American Indain, and I think that is cool. So lets say that America was never colonized and christinaity was never introduced to the Indians, would you and your family "go to hell" because you were not christians? or a newborn baby in China dies right after birth, hell? parents are not christians?</p>
<p>On another note, I wonder what science class will be like when you get to THA(T)CHER, have you checked to make sure they offer creationism? Maybe you can get them to start such a class, that should go over with a big bang.</p>
<p>I thought this was interesting, but it got lost way back there so I'll post it again in case anyone has first-hand information to add:</p>
<p>A friend, whose daughter attends DA, said she was surprised that there wasn't more immediate communication to parents about the incident. Apparently there was a school meeting as soon as the school was aware of the letters, but she said school parents were not notified until they received a letter in the mail almost two weeks later.</p>