I'm clearly trying to get on some banned book list.

[apocalypsos]

The atheist is female. And possibly a lesbian.

Also, due to people's beliefs having some influence on the poor deity and their illogical conflating of "using condoms" and "impeding God's will," thereby implying that if God really wanted to knock you up a measly bit of rubber would be her undoing, God is allergic to latex. Maybe.

Oh, and I drove to Panera behind a van with a bumper sticker that says, "As a former fetus, I oppose abortion!" -- as if those in the pro-choice movement forgot we were fetuses too once upon a time -- so if I do write this book and manage to make it through without making some snarky remark about abortion, I believe I deserve a medal.

And I refuse to capitalize pronouns, because I'm a terrible person.

Comments

[suaine.livejournal.com]

Yes, please. :D

[derryderrydown.livejournal.com]

I want a bumper sticker that says, "As a former foetus, I'm in favour of abortion!"

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

I have one that says "God Gave Us Free Will, God Is Pro-Choice", but I haven't put it on my car yet because considering how this area is I can just imagine how long it will take for my car to get egged.

[lunardreamed.livejournal.com]

See, that's what always gets to me. They're always going on about how the whole point is that we have free will, but for some reason, they're supposed to make laws to make us choose "right".

[lunardreamed.livejournal.com]

Hehe. I also refuse to capitalize pronouns too, but then I don't think god should be capitalized either, since it's a descriptor, not a name, and capitalization of titles like Lord or Lady should only be used if it is your own religion.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think the only reason I tend to capitalize God is because it's one of the last vestiges of being raised Christian. :)

[conuly]

Well, God is used as a name for the Christian god, when speaking English. Just like Zeus and Freya and Santa Claus are all names.

[lunardreamed.livejournal.com]

He's named in several ways in the Old Testament, which is part of Christian scripture. There are also several honorifics for him that no longer have any other use except to refer to him.

See, Zeus and Freya are also gods. So, why does the Christian-Judeo god get special treatment.

It's an appropriation, using language to have powerful psychological and emotional effects. It undermines other belief systems because whenever anyone says "god" it is interpreted as meaning the Christian-Judeo god. It makes Christianity the one true religion, and all others are just silly, little rebellions whose gods are small-case deities, uncapitalized (even their pronouns), except when named. It says that the only god that is real is God.

So, I don't use it, unless I'm required to in some formal writing setting. If I'm going to name him, I'll use his name to make it clear I am referring to the Christian-Judeo god and not some other deity equally deserving of respect. I know others don't agree and I'm not going to change the English language, but that's how I feel.

[damnedfallacy.livejournal.com]

I saw one the other day that said "If Mary had been pro-choice, there would be no Christians!"

Now, obviously this was meant as an anti-choice sentiment but my first thought was "And the downside is...?" Not to mention the faith-denying nature of assuming that Biblical!God, who is supposed to be omniscient and omnipotent couldn't find a way to get around an independent-minded Mary.

So I don't start wank in your LJ, let me say that I don't hate Christians. I just happen to live in an area overrun by the variety that make Jesus shake his head and look into a legal name change.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

"If Mary had been pro-choice, there would be no Christians!"

Wow, they've got a really low opinion of the Virgin Mary, don't they? Why do they always assume that someone who wants the choice will take abortion every time?

And who's to say she wasn't pro-choice? It may not have been in the Bible, but then again, abortion isn't mentioned in the Bible. Abortion's been recorded since ancient Egypt and presumably had to exist before that as well.

Urgh. Hate people, want to punch someone.

I don't hate Christians either. I mean, God knows I was raised one. I hate stupid people. It's just a shame there's so many loudmouthed stupid people in Christianity these days, because there's an awful lot of genuinely nice ones out there and the stupid people are ruining it for them.

[damnedfallacy.livejournal.com]

Why do they always assume that someone who wants the choice will take abortion every time?

I actually have an answer for that one. I was raised in the far-fringe of the anti-abortion movement - my parents are dedicated members of Operation Rescue and Lambs of Christ. At every meeting, it is pounded into their head that if you are pro-choice, that means that you loooooove abortions. Abortions make you giddy with joy. You get referral money for sending a friend to have one, and the nurses at the clinic earn 'points' for every abortion they perform. Oh, and you think that forced abortions a la China are a swell idea.

People who say things to them like "I hate abortion, but believe I shouldn't make everyone's choices. How about if we promote responsible sex-ed and government subsidized birth-control as a means of reducing abortions?" are acting as a tool of Satan and probably had fetus pie for dessert. Ask me how I know.

[conuly]

So they apply to the "shit pulled out of my ass" theory of research, is that it?

[fyrdrakken]

Why do they always assume that someone who wants the choice will take abortion every time?

An illuminating comment right there, that they're against having the option of abortion because they want women to be forced to bear their unwanted accidental children. (But learn to love them after all because every child is a blessing God wanted you to have and every woman will blossom into fulfilled motherhood given the chance, hah!) Especially delightful when you discover how many anti-abortion activists are also anti-contraception -- they really don't want women to be able to avoid the consequences of their sinful slutty behavior, and want to force all good Christian women to marry and stay home raising the babies that God keeps sending them...

[anne-jumps.livejournal.com]

I've seen that one too. Used to see it all the time on a former commute. =__=

[silmaril.livejournal.com]

That will be a great story.

[conuly]

These people believe that virginity can't keep you from getting pregnant if God so desires. (And yet, they think abstinence only education isn't a joke.)

[tiptoe39.livejournal.com]

you know, it occurs to me that there's a fundamental disconnect there. That's like the CENTRAL tenet of the religion. "Abstinence works! Just look at the Virgin Mar-- oh, shit."

They should try something more positive, like "Abstinence works - you might give birth to a GOD!"

None of the above reflects my personal political opinion. Disclaimer b/c of working in the emm-ess-emm.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Their logic is on CRACK. "You shouldn't use birth control because it impedes God's plan, since he can't get through the margin of error in condoms and pills, so you should just stay abstinent because it's 100% effective, except for that one time we base that entire religion on when God impregnated a virgin and gave her a choice, but just for the record you won't be getting a choice when it comes to your reproductive rights any other way."

[tiptoe39.livejournal.com]

Ain't any crack I'd like to smoke. But I just have learning difficulties. I've always had trouble with the whole Three Gods = One God thing. Forget Christian sex ed, I fail Christian MATH.

(Incidentally, I would prefer the brand of crack that gives you your story ideas. Care to share?)

[conuly]

Metaquotes?

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Heh. Knock yourself out. :)

[conuly]

http://community.livejournal.com/metaquotes/7219770.html

[fyrdrakken]

And in the real world that the rest of us live in, even if you discount the divine-impregnation story, and even if you generously allow people who intended to be abstinent but succumbed from temptation to not be counted as a failure rate (even though contraception failure rates are given as two numbers, the "perfect use" hypothetical and the real world actual number caused by real people using the method in their real lives and periodically screwing up or forgetting), it always seems to be forgotten that a substantial number of women who tried just saying no were overruled by their "partners."

Abstinence does not magically prevent pregnancy in cases of rape. But morning-after pills are only for those dirty sluts who couldn't be bothered to be "responsible" in trying to dodge the consequences of their sinful behavior. So abstinence-only thinking prepares girls to be screwed going and coming, whether they wanted to be or not...

[laughingrat.livejournal.com]

Maybe latex is Satan's invention. The rubber tree was the tree in the Garden of Eden, and all that.

Hey, I'm just trying to figure out how those whackjobs would work it into their cosmology for ya. YOU'RE WELCOME

[allthelivesofme.livejournal.com]

I so want this book. :-D

[myniamh.livejournal.com]

to get on some banned book list. Best publicity you can get.