I'm down with Jesus, but his followers are terrifying.

This just in: Religious nutcases sue for the right to be bigots.

Essentially, Georgia Institute of Technology has a policy of tolerance. You're not allowed to bash your fellow students due to their race, their sex, or their sexual orientation, among other things. Sounds great, right? Ruth Malhotra doesn't think so. She's a senior there, and also one of those Christians who make the sane Christians go, "hey chick, get off our side!" She's suing the college to try to get their tolerance policy abolished because it is her right, nay, her duty to harrass her fellow students. And she's not the only one. Her partner in absurdity is Orit Sklar, a devout Jewish student.

Highlights of the article:

[Malhotra] referred to the campus gay rights group Pride Alliance as a "sex club... that can't even manage to be tasteful." It went on to say that it was "ludicrous" for Georgia Tech to help fund the Pride Alliance. The letter berated students who come out publicly as gay, saying they subject others on campus to "a constant barrage of homosexuality." "If gays want to be tolerated, they should knock off the political propaganda," the letter said.


Christian activist Gregory S. Baylor responds to such criticism angrily. He says he supports policies that protect people from discrimination based on race and gender. But he draws a distinction that infuriates gay rights activists when he argues that sexual orientation is different — a lifestyle choice, not an inborn trait. By equating homosexuality with race, Baylor said, tolerance policies put conservative evangelicals in the same category as racists. He predicts the government will one day revoke the tax-exempt status of churches that preach homosexuality is sinful or that refuse to hire gays and lesbians. "Think how marginalized racists are," said Baylor, who directs the Christian Legal Society's Center for Law and Religious Freedom. "If we don't address this now, it will only get worse."


A recent survey by the Anti-Defamation League found that 64% of American adults — including 80% of evangelical Christians — agreed with the statement "Religion is under attack in this country."

I don't even know where to begin. First and foremost, as a queer chick who has been targeted by Christian evangelists for just holding hands with my then-girlfriend, it infuriates me to shaking point when I hear "just don't flaunt it in our faces." Straight couples hold hands. Straight couples kiss in public. No one bats an eye. But a gay couple? Hell naw. And I'm sorry, but did you say political propaganda? Really? Just wanting basic equal rights is political propaganda?

Also, Dear Mr. Baylor-- I didn't choose to be the way I am. I cannot just wake up one day and decide to not be attracted to women, as well as men. I don't really enter the nature/nurture fray, but the one thing I can say for sure is that my first recognized instance of sexual attraction came while watching a Madonna video. Infact, I actually tried to not be attracted to women at one point. It only made me lie to myself and hurt someone who cared about me. So, I think it goes without saying that I think you're full of shit. I'll go ahead and quote someone off the WitchVox board and say "so he doesn't want to be put in the same boat as racists? Well, then, he should stop acting like he belongs in that same boat! He doesn't want to be marginalized, but he's more than happy to make someone else feel marginalized?"

As for religion being under attack, religion has been the hot topic of conversation for as far back as I can remember. And you know what? It's the religious people seeking to limit and disrupt the rights of others, not the other way around.

You know, whatever happened to 'love thy neighbor' or 'teach grace by example'? Worship how you please, but realize that everyone else doesn't have to be just like you. I truly think that if Jesus did come back, he'd sue for false representation.