Spiritually speaking, why am I an 'atheist' and a 'homosexual'?

Question

Why am I not a 'human'?

It's so much easier to degrade people when you refer to them only by one label that also happens to be a snarl word.

I mean, I could maybe understand it if it were my career to be an atheist or a homosexual, but those are just two tiny parts of me.

Why exactly must people do this? They blind themselves to the fact that we are all human, and instead pin us with controversial names and call us disgusting, or perverts, or immoral.

Is this because they have no other way to attack people? Or is it because they're cowards?

('They're' in this question refers to all who fling these labels around with a negative connotation, whether the person is religious or not.)

Answer 1

It's a classic way of othering and dehumanizing people. It's like a real strategy hateful groups of people use to help their own bigoted causes. Why do you think they call it the "gay lifestyle"? They've convinced people that being gay makes you so unlike straight people, that you have nothing in common.

Answer 2

Everyone gets labelled on these internet forums. It's a means of segregating. And don't think it's not done by all sides.



The implication from your question is that "theists" and "straights" have a bigoted view of you; therefore, you have already labeled them as well.



Naked Troll may have said it best - there is an efficiency that goes with grouping people together - it's not completely effective, but we cannot get to know each individual personally on the web. There are "identifiers" that provide us with some insight into that which is important for those on the forum.

Answer 3

You're asking this as if there really is a rational answer. There isn't one.



People hate what they don't understand. They have no issue with people who are attracted men...provided that those people are women. They don't get how you can like somebody who happened to havebeen born with the same sex organs that you were born with. Is there any reason to treat you worse for this? Nope. But some people get uncomfortable around that without a good reason, and they would rather blame other people by lashing out, rather than blaming themselves.



I've had friends who are homosexual. I was about as worried about them trying to see my manparts or hitting on me as I was about my female friends: i.e., not at all. They respected my attraction to women, I respected their attraction to men, and we had perfectly normal friendships.



As for atheism, a lot of people incorporate their religious beliefs into their identity. It's a big part, not just of their lives, but of how they see themselves. When somebody doesn't have that, they can't conceive of it. Once again, it's a matter of misunderstanding. Unable to grasp it, they have to assume that we have the same self-identifiers, but labelled through other means. Evolution, we are told, is our religion. That we accept authority unquestioningly just as they do...as long as that authority is science. We must depressed, angry, or bitter because we don't enjoy the element that makes them happy and hopeful. And so on, and so forth. The idea of living without such elements is so alien, so foreign, that they simply can't conceive of it.



When you up the ante with a faith that has a call to witness and convert, it isn't just a misunderstanding--it's a downright moral imperative to not treat the individual like any other human being. We aren't just your typical sinners--we're sinners who don't believe because we want to keep sinning.



I don't mean to imply all Christians are like this, but anybody who's familiar with R&S (and, often enough, real life) knows that these are common themes.



Both issues are just about self versus other. There's no rational reason for any of it. Some people just choose to lash out at the things they don't understand.

Answer 4

It's not an attack in itself. It is merely a way to relieve the guilt of attacking someone by dehumanizing them. Most people know it is inherently wrong to attack another human for no reason. But when you take away someone's humanity and give them only a generic label, especially one that may have negative connotations, it's much easier to be cruel to them or treat them as the "other", not worthy of dignity or respect. This is why in legal systems the lawyers always use proper names and "good" descriptives of the side they are representing and use terms to dehumanize the other side. If they can get away with it, of course.

Answer 5

particular, we are! No, heavily - we only prefer ourselves to be heard - to be usual as a classic component to society. I stay interior the united kingdom, so that's distinctly cool being a lesbian atheist, yet in usa, nicely, issues are not precisely undemanding crusing. we don't prefer worldwide domination - we'd like recognition. in basic terms the extremely ignorant atheists/homosexuals attempt to act like they're greater suitable on your average at once religious guy. human beings like them make the atheist/homosexuals inhabitants look undesirable as an entire, yet they're the minority (phew).

Answer 6

As you say they are two small parts of what make you as an individual. I think of these things in terms of overlapping circles, millions of them overlapping in different ways, and the bit where all the things that make you up meet is you.



When we talk about people in terms of the labels we attribute to them we are always talking about humans and so it would not help our understanding of them just to call them humans, or individuals. You have done it in your question by referring to religious people, cowards etc. Some of them are cowards, some of them are religious, some of them are simpletons who don't understand, some are doing it to annoy you and some don't even know they are doing it.



It is not just to attack people though, for instance if I gave some money to the charity 'Stonewall' in order to help gay people fight prejudice then I have given my money to help homosexuals. They are not all the same, they do not all suffer from the same problems but I have lumped all gay people together in order to try to move forward and achieve something. If I took all gay people to be individuals (which is what I know them to be) then I would not be able to help as efficiently. I would have to listen to each individuals problems and try to solve them, there are millions of gay people and I simply could not do that. Instead I lump all homosexuals together and try to support something that generally supports them. I also lump together my family, my social group, my fellow citizens, other citizens, immigrants, yahoo answers members etc sometimes I take it further and lump together people who are different to me, foreigners, Europeans, heterosexuals, soldiers, army brats.



If we didn't attribute labels we would get nowhere through inefficiency. It is simply our way of interpreting the world, I am sorry if it has been used as a stick to beat you with but we are not supercomputers who can afford to spend the time judging every individual on their own merits. Just people, prejudiced and imperfect people.

Answer 7

"all who fling these labels around with a negative connotation"

Comfort yourself with the number of labels with negative connotations that can reasonably be applied to anyone who thinks either of those two labels have any negative connotations.

That's what I'd do, anyway.



Humans are humans. Best we can do is explain why they're wrong. If they're not willing to listen, move on.

Answer 8

Because to do anything more like get to know someone would require more effort than those people are willing to give. Also if you've been brainwashed your entire natural life it is hard to see that it is okay to let your guard down and look at people for who they are entirely. I've said for a long time that labels aren't meant for people, it opens everyone up to discrimination and hate.

Answer 9

I think its becaused some people are so strong in their view that they choose not to even consider others. When If they acctually sat down and thought about what they were being told was wrong and what was right may not be. People believe what they are told, if you weren't told anything then clearly you would have nothing to belive, also some people dont think for themselves

Answer 10

because so many people today are taught hate is ok under the label of religion. It is the same reason people were "allowed" to label and hate blacks 60 years ago. People hate what they don't know and some people are so close-minded they refuse to be educated.

Answer 11

People will always do this to others who are different,or people whom they just don't understand.It might be hardwired in the human brain,or must be what they learned from an early age.I think it's the latter one.Because it's usually Christians who make such a big deal about it.

Answer 12

So many atheist (at least on this website) and homosexuals (here and everywhere) self- label and wear it as as some kind of badge of honor. Labels can have both positive and negative connotations. And if you label yourself, as such, then you cannot expect others not to do the same. Take the bad with the good.

Answer 13

Tribal instinct in humans

Answer 14

A wise man once told me..."I don't identify myself by the genitals I play with."

Answer 15

That is good that you feel that something is wrong... this is the first step to change your way from darkness and death to light and ever lasting life.

I advise you to read the bible, the new testament to clean your mind and save your soul



please, close your eyes now and ask Jesus to forgive your sins and ask him to help you to save yourself and God will help you if you are really honest and want to change yourself. Jesus is knocking your door, please open your heart to him.

Answer 16

I found it interesting you called others blind.

In fact the Bible calls you blind.



What do the gay parades and conventions say about gays? Perversion and immorality .



Actually you like to attack others and you are a coward.

Answer 17

Because you are what you choose to be. But me, I surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and He set me free from being a slave to sin.

Answer 18

yeah right, those "theists", eh?!? pfft.

Answer 19

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There is nothing wrong with loving the same gender.....

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For men.....

1 Samuel 20v17 ...... http://bible.cc/1_samuel/20-17.htm

And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him,

because he loved him as he loved himself.

2 Samuel 1v26 ...... http://bible.cc/2_samuel/1-26.htm

I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very

dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful,

more wonderful than that of women.



As well as for women.....

Ruth 1v14-18 ....... http://www.biblestudytools.com/nkj/ruth/passage.aspx?q=Ruth+1:14-18

Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. And she said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law." But Ruth said: "Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me." When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.



However, the line is crossed if they kiss each other (in a passionate and/or

prolonged manner such as Britney and Madonna)…..

The line is also crossed if they enter into a marriage......



The purpose of the type of relationship that David and Jonathan, Ruth and Naomi had is how can we Love God who we don’t see ….. if we don’t love those who we do see.



1 John 4v20 …….. http://bible.cc/1_john/4-20.htm

If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.







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The Word of God is clear about the sin of homosexuality.....

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Romans 1v26,27 ....... http://www.biblestudytools.com/nkj/romans/passage.aspx?q=Romans+1:26-27

For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.



1 Corinthians 6v9 ....... http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/6-9.htm

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



Jude 1v7 ........ http://bible.cc/jude/1-7.htm

In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

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Please note that Sodom is where we get the term sodomite.

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The judgement that was passed on the city of

Sodom and Gomorrah was such a severe

one that it leaves the reader with a clear

understanding of how God feels about it.



Hebrews 10v26 ....... http://bible.cc/hebrews/10-26.htm

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received

the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left...