Hey Nutbag!

[keiramarcos]

The problem isn't that I dislike religious people. I know plenty of people who are both spiritual and religious and I don't have a problem with them. Of course, that statement is sort of like a racist claiming to have "black friends" as an example of his not being a racist.

The fact is that weak men use religion as a means to control and objectify women. A real man doesn't need to validate his existence by controlling and obliterating a woman's personal power. If I could say one thing to men like those who are trying to pass those ridiculous abortion and birth control laws it's this:

"My strength and personal power is not something I gained by taking it from a MAN. You won't make yourself stronger by making me weaker. You won't make yourself more powerful by making me powerless."

Comments

[ladyholder.livejournal.com]

Agreed!

~L

[druidchick.livejournal.com]

+1

I hope the elections this year reflect our feelings and anger with higher turnout and a sea change in DC

[timespirt.livejournal.com]

I like that pic, it says what I feel.

Even to this day my staunch replug neighbors say that these people are not trying to change the laws that way, they just don't want abortion and birth control paid for by any kind of insurance. If the person wants stuff like that they should pay out of pocket for it themselves. I was arguing for a few hours a few days ago and gave up after that statement was said to me like 50 times. They watch fox news like it's the movie channel.

[scorpiodragon.livejournal.com]

Agreed, my friend.

[veggiesueh.livejournal.com]

I hate that we've allowed them to make the discourse about religion, rather than our rights to have control of our bodies. And as a religious person, I hate how they represent us; not all of us are intolerant assholes.

[bridges2.livejournal.com]

You hit the nail on the head with that one.

[toscas-kiss.livejournal.com]

I completely agree with you until the day a) someone scientifically proves the existence of souls and b) God speaks to the whole of humanity without going through a male translator.

Hmmm, gonna be a long wait then...

[trinaward.livejournal.com]

I totally agree !!

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

The longer I live, the more sure I am of two things:

1. Religion is actually about controlling both genders.
2. Women still get the fuzzier end of the lollipop.

Huzzah to this and the link to Alternet from FB:
Why Patriarchal Men Are Utterly Petrified of Birth Control (http://www.alternet.org/story/154144/why_patriarchal_men_are_utterly_petrified_of_birth_control_--_and_why_we%27ll_still_be_fighting_about_it_100_years_from_now?page=entire)

The first time I realized I might be a religious bigot in my own right was when I saw a confirmed Pagan wearing a pendant better suited to an Evangelical. It was a gift from a Christian she loved and who loved her back across all the fake lines that were supposed to be drawn between them. Also, I got a lesson in what all the faces of the Goddess meant, but that's another story.

would love to hear

[winterhart]

that story

[merrygal.livejournal.com]

I am so tired of men trying to tell me how to live. Remember it was men who interpreted the stories in the Bible. Don't tell me they did not put their biases into the tales so that woman had not power. I'm old enough to remember when abortion was not legal, how many women died by getting illegal abortions or trying to do it themselves. I read that abortions were not illegal long ago, in fact there were abortions done during the Egyptian era, they became illegal in the early 20th century. In a national poll even 61% of Catholic woman stated that contraception should be allowed by the church. As women we need to stand up again like we did in the 70's to stop this Republican movement to bring us back to the past.

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

Yes.

[mayalaen.livejournal.com]

I'd like to see how many men would change their minds on birth control if they were given the choice of some form of birth control or total abstinence.

They don't have to carry the kids and almost none of them have to help much with the daily raising of them, so I don't think anything less than a choice between sex or no sex would mean much to them.

I'm in the medical field and I've had so many women come in complaining that their husbands won't allow birth control, they're stuck raising the kids, they've ruined their bodies, etc. Well, they're still spreading for their husbands.

I'm not saying it's all a woman's fault, but seriously, is a guy gonna turn down sex when all he has to do is agree to a pill or some form of birth control? He doesn't even have to take the pill himself!

I know I kinda went off the main reason/topic of this post, but my point stands in that all those nutbags and the whole debate and drama of this whole thing wouldn't be an issue if it was put in terms a guy can relate to/understand/care about.

[tygtig.livejournal.com]

If their husbands doesn't allow them birth control, they won't allow them to withhold sex either.


A lot of the time I don't think men should have the right to have an opinion on the abortion issue (or female birthcontrol). They Don't Get Pregnant. I've been pregnant three times, given birth to two children and FUCK if I think anyone should tell me that I can't use birth control because their god thinks it's wrong. Especially if that someone never, ever runs the risk of going through labor. I know that ethically, everyone has the right to hold an opinion on any subject. I agree with it. I just get upset sometimes.


(I live in a secular country! Halleluja! Birth control, abortion etc is completely accepted among the general population.)

[rivkaesque.livejournal.com]

Well, I suppose that is one advantage to being a lesbian. These guys have even less power over me than they're scared they have.

And PS, where'd you get that graphic? I love it!

[keiramarcos]

I made it. ;-)

[moonprincessnat.livejournal.com]

Terrific graphic! Man, the news this week was just disgusting. I had really hoped we were beyond this, but no, the Republicans seem determined to drag us back into the dark ages. Ugh.

[chris-king-2005.livejournal.com]

*snort*

I may just put that little notice on my front door.

[starr_falling]

+1

[bemus-ed.livejournal.com]

Whenever someone tries to tell me about how their religion is the only "right" religion and how their interpretation of the bible is the "true" word of god all I can hear is this sing-song-y voice going off in my head chanting "my god is better than your god, my god is better than your god".

I love your graphic and want it for a bumper sticker.

[aileyfallon.livejournal.com]

My biggest problem is you can't even attempt to have a rational discussion about it. My cousin became very religious after she married and had kids and she is constantly trying to bait me into 'discussions' about it (for five years after I moved every time we spoke she would ask if I'd found a church yet). She almost succeeded this week over the birth control mandate but my aunt talked me down.

I usually just avoid the subject entirely with my more religious family members and friends to avoid fights.

Between the crap going on in VA, the birth control mandate (seriously, infringing on religious freedom? Christian Scientist don't believe in modern medicine, is making them pay for health insurance for their employees a infringement?), the senate hearing where the chair refused to let any woman testify and anything that comes out of Santorum's (or his followers) mouth, I've been spitting nails all week.

There was a great quote on twitter by @LOLGOP "If you want to prevent abortions, you make sure everyone has healthcare, a high school education and birth control. Not the exact opposite."

[tygtig.livejournal.com]

Try my best friends approach to the religious "discussion". When the witnesses called at her house when she was a kid, her parents opened the door and said "No, we're not religious. We're COMMUNISTS." (And they were, too.)

Worked like a charm.

[akahihineko.livejournal.com]

May I save that picture to dig out and throw in faces at appropriate times?

[keiramarcos]

Sure.

[elfling-eryn.livejournal.com]

As my boyfriend is fond to say: I got no problem with god. Just his fanclubs should please leave me alone.

[tamstercmt.livejournal.com]

What you said.

[ladymina.livejournal.com]

I love my country when I read stuff like it,
the most radical issue about contraception and abortion and the church in the last few years here was a small backstep from the evangelical Church, who more or less said, 'Uhm, we kinda thought about this again, and maybe just maybe it might not go so well with our doctrines to offer the mandatory counselling for women who want abortions anymore. So uhm we withdraw from the group of organisations who offer that. K Thx.'

We still have enough other organisations who offer those, so not much harm done, and I can deal with it not quite fitting with their ideas

[rivkaesque.livejournal.com]

Where do you live? Purely for research purposes, unfortunately. Is it Canada?

Insurence lobby

[holen1972.livejournal.com]

So where are these insureance people on capitol hill who would have to pay for all the babies being born on there dime instead of being able to cover the much lower cost of not making the babies to start with? If the church nuts can lobby for their ideas the insurance people should ba able to as well. Other then that I think the church groups are totally nuts.

Re: Insurence lobby

[ladymina.livejournal.com]

I was wondering about that one too,
it has to be soo much more expensive to pay for birth, and medicaid for the child (and mother) after birth than to pay for birthcontrol
my birthcontrol costs less than 250USD a year!

[rhiannon-wing.livejournal.com]

That should totally be a bumper sticker. I love it!

[freak-in-corner.livejournal.com]

I have absolutely no problem with religious people so long as they don’t try and ram it down my throat. I live, as do most where free thinking is a right and religion should have no affect on the lives that don’t want it. No religion should have any influence over the law because there are people who are not religious or of a different religion that will be affected by it.

I’m not part of any organised religion because my beliefs are my own and I don’t want anyone telling me what I should believe and do because of my beliefs. Also there are too many arseholes out there that use their religion as an excuse to spread their bigoted nonsense and control others.

I just wanted to add that organised religions can have positive effects on peoples’ lives by giving them something to believe in and giving them a sense of community but I don’t want that and shouldn’t be forced to listen to it.

[mayalaen.livejournal.com]

I totally agree on the positive effects. I'm not religious or part of an organization myself, and I don't like what some people do in the name of religion, but faith, hope, a sense of purpose, morals to live by -- I think that's great!

If someone asks me directly what I believe, I'll tell them, but that's as far as I go. I can't say with absolute certainty that what I believe is true, and I don't think anyone else truly can either.

I'm thrilled when someone says they've found Jesus, God, etc., and they've made changes in their life for the better. If it makes someone happy and makes them a better person, I don't want to fuck with that.