Update: To correct misinformation in the comments, I was not “fired”. I offered my resignation and it was accepted.
Because I had the nerve to be critical of the Catholic church’s stance on birth control and abortion—nevermind their political opposition to distributing condoms to fight HIV, a stance that has helped usher thousands and possibly millions to their untimely deaths—I’ve gotten a number of letters from people who call themselves “Christians”, as Bill Donohue also calls himself. Chrisitians are people who are supposed to follow the behavior and teachings of Jesus Christ. I mention this, because it seems to me that therefore, when Christians are contemplating an action that is morally questionable, it appears they should consult the Bible before acting.
Luckily, I happen to have a Bible laying around this house, because even though I’m not a Christian, I was an English major, and it is important to Know Your Ancient Mythologies if you are reading poetry. And I flipped to this passage that seems to have solid advice on what to do if you’ve got some asshole dragging a woman in front of an angry crowd and yelling, “SINNER!”:
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?� This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.� And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?� She said, “No one, Lord.� And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.�
Granted, I don’t think criticizing the church for policies that hurt families and even get people killed is a “sin”, but my letter writers do. But I thought I’d bring up this story for two reasons. One, I’ve always been impressed by the subtext of the story. I suspect, strongly, that this story is part of the reason that Christianity was so attractive to women in its early days, because this sort of random misogynist scapegoating is all too real in a patriarchy, and this story must have touched a lot of women at the time, who would be impressed with Jesus’ unwillingness to play into such misogyny. In fact, from everything I understand, much of the history of Christian misogyny is one 2,000 year long backlash against early female power in the church.
I’m also impressed by how so many people who claim to follow Jesus have basic reading comprehension problems when they regard this story. (Not all—for instance, some fellow Pandagonians take their faith seriously enough to read the Bible and try to follow its precepts.) From my mailbag:
I pray that I had some small part to play in your “resigning” from the Edwards campaign you libelous fraud!
That’s from a Vivian Thomas, who also wants me to know that I’m a worthless hag. (Update: Vivian was attacking me for my position on the Duke case. I’m so tired of the bullcrap from that, but I can assure the haters that I’m full aware if I spread vicious, untrue rumors about the accusers, they would have exactly no problem with me.)
Catholics are concerned about killing unborn children, you stupid bitch. Chop away if it suits you, but we don’t
have to accept that as moral. That’s why it’s called a religion. Look into it.
Frankly, if I were a churchy person, this “Look into it” thing would insult me, since R.R. from Tallahassee, FL is all but saying that religion is his excuse to declare his misogyny “moral” so he doesn’t actually have to think and decide what his morality is for himself.
Amanda,
after reading your vile screed against Catholics and the Holy Spirit, I just had to see what you looked like. (I envisioned you eyebrow-less, with no visible pupils, and a blank, dead stare.) I see I was correct about the blank, dead stare, but other than that you’re not too bad. I then thought maybe you were mad at God (and by proxy Catholics) for making you ugly, but now I’m figuring you’re just mad at him for making you a woman.
Annette D’Amato is somewhat right, that I’m angry—but not that I’m a woman, but that people like her have such uncalled for contempt for women. But I am impressed that I gave her a small bit of education. Contrary to what people have been telling her, feminists are not demons without eyebrows (she missed the boar’s teeth and snakes on our heads), but human beings.
Andy Driggers from Dallas, TX was also so moved by my criticisms of religious anti-choicers, that he wrote:
Problem with women like you, you just need a good fucking from a real man! Living in Texas myself, I know you haven’t found that real Texan yet. But once your liberal pro feminist ass gets a real good fucking, you might see the light. Until then, enjoy your battery operated toys b/c most real men wouldn’t want to give you the fucking you deserve b/c the shit that would come out of you ears.
Reminder: Donohue was claiming to be so hurt by my “bigotry”. Yet, for some reason, his supporters write me and they are more interested in telling me that my womanhood is repulsive to them. Interesting—almost as if his claims to speak for Catholicism were in fact dog whistles to scare people about women’s equality.
As I told some close friends in the days that Donohue was on the news, spraying code words about “get the feminists” (which explains why he roped Shakespeare’s Sister into this, even though she really had nothing to do with any of this—except she’s pro-equality, which is what is really what offends Donohue and all the people who gave that anti-Semite airtime), a good half of my hate mail could be summed up, “You have a pottymouth, you stupid cunt.” An example, from Paul Bernard of Scottsdale, AZ:
i like the way you trash talk i don’t particularly want to have sex with you but i would like a blow job.
Right wingers right now are pretending like sexism has nothing to do with me, which is an argument that works if you think a) men get emails about how they need to suck a dick on a regular basis and b) that there’s nothing whatsoever sexist about allowing men to curse but hitting the fainting couch if a woman does.
Bud Phelps, another person who opposes “bigotry”, as defined by right wing shill Bill Donohue.
It’s just too bad your mother didn’t abort you. You are nothing more than a filthy mouth slut. I bet a couple of years in Iraq being raped and beaten daily would help you appreciate America a little. Need a plane ticket ?
Time to wake up and smell reality—real bigots follow the siren call of the fascist right wing. Why would they even bother with liberals and all our equality and human rights and other tedious ideas?
Romanco De Leone was also moved by Donohue’s poignant claims about insulating the Catholic church from legitimate criticisms.
YOU RACIST WHORE. FAT UGLY BITCH. SUCK MY LONG COCK ASSHOLE I HOPE YOU KIDS NEVER LIVE AND YOUR PARENTS DIE A TRAGIC DEATH YOU ASSHOLE BITCH!
I HOPE YOUR WOMB IS BARREN AND YOUR CAREER PLUMMETS TO HELL YOU BITCH
But I shan’t belabor the point. I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of the hate mail the Bill Donohue’s “Christian” campaign against me has inspired. This is all stuff from days ago—I’ve gotten more than 100 since. Hell, from the looks of my email from last night, I’ve had more than 100 in the past 12 hours from self-proclaimed Christians who want me to know that I have hurt their feelings and this has nothing, nothing whatsoever to do with their own misogyny and tendency to witch hunt.
Aw, that last one was sweet. It included hoping that your womb remains barren, which your regular readers know to be a fond wish of yours.
Otherwise, good luck trying to shame these whackos. Cats licking their own and one anothers’ genitals have a more developed sense of dignity.
*wince* God, I hate this. It’s very brave of you, though, faced with such sick-making comments, to formulate such a coherent and clear response. And I’m so, so glad that you’re still posting. *goes back into lurk mode*
(I’m still stunned by how much of this nonsense is about swearing. Because no one in any workplace ever does that.)
But… but… I thought you were the vile one? Am I to believe that Billy Donahue has lied to me? I don’t know how to process that. I mean, you’re suggesting that some Christians are hypocrites, but I really remember Jesus having something to say about that. How can it be?
This must just prove that you are such a vicious anti-Catholic bigot that you actually drive good Christian folk to be exactly the kind of person you criticize, thus justifying your attacks. A shrewd plan, I’m sure Layman Billy will see through it and realize you’re still responsible.
I think.
I’m having trouble parsing the logic in the comment made by Andy Driggers of Dallas, TX, which is somewhat unsurprising. But if Andy Driggers of Dallas, Texas wants to explain the distinction between women who ‘need a good fucking’ and those who can’t get one — or if the friends of Dallas, TX resident Andy Driggers want to help out — I’m sure that Google searchers in years to come will appreciate it.
I work for a very religious person (who would never in a million years put crap like this in an email, I may point out) and even he admits he needs to work on not dropping the “eff bomb” as he puts it. We don’t agree on anything political or religious, but we can respect each other’s right to an opinion. Funny how that works.
Actually, the Pope makes a pretty good villain on abortion. It’s easier to criticize him than the Church because there’s a natural response to “You’re bigoted against Catholics”: “I thought we’d moved beyond 1960, when Catholics were suspected of having more allegiance to the Pope than to the United States.”
thank you for posting these.
i think someone in an earlier thread said that you’re deservedly suffering this backlash because the right-wing blogosphere simply illuminated your words for all to see.
there’s no shame in your words- but there’s plenty of shame in this violent, misogynistic, dreadful hate mail. keep exposing it for what it is- this is important work.
In the past year the University of Minnesota conducted a study to discover what popular conceptions people had regarding athiests.
They found that we are the most despised group in the country. Responses included the view that they would not condone their children marrying an athiest and that we are untrustworthy.
You’re an intelligent feminist who doesn’t believe in god. Of course they were going to come and get you.
Stay strong and don’t let this sick shit deter you in speaking truth to power, Amanda.
This is precisely why civilized people reject and loathe religion. It’s not so much the muddy, opaque metaphysical doctrines as the foul swine wallowing around belly-deep in them.
No, I’m not looking for a job in American politics, Mr. Donohue. You go to Hell.
They’ve not only sold me on Catholicism, they’ve also convinced me that feminism is pointless and outdated!
Great post. I’m embarrassed that people who claim to be “good Christians” would defame you in such a way.
I’m a Catholic, and would be the first to take on the Church regarding its stances on women, birth control, homosexuality, etc. A lot of people would argue that doesn’t make me “Catholic,” but I see Faith and Religion as very different things. I think you can be Catholic in faith, and fight against the misogynistic/heterosexist religious ways of the Church. People ask me, “Why don’t you leave a Church that doesn’t accept you because of your sex and sexuality?” I say, “I’m going to stay and I’m going to fight it until they change.” You can call me idealistic. I don’t care, but I know what I’m doing and I’m going to stick with it.
Oh well, if those people believe in Hell…they’ll get what’s coming to them one day.
Do you suppose it’s this Andy Driggers?
http://www.linkedin.com/ppl/webprofile?authType=name&action=vmi&trk=ppro_viewmore&authToken=zl-f&id=5188113
:( why are there so many sick people out there? “What you need is a good fucking,” “what you need is to be raped,” “Suck my cock,” “Give me a blowjob bitch…” It seriously makes me want to cry. Sex is one of the joys of my life. It’s never, ever something I want to do to someone in such a way as to “punish” him or cause him pain, physical or mental. I can’t even wrap my mind around its obviously casual place in the hierarchy of some people’s mind as a weapon of contempt and hatred and physical agony. I really feel ill.
I’m not a religion freak, nor a women hater,I do think Left wing nuts are crossed wired from birth, and you can’t help it. I hope you grow up some day and see the light. Bha bye, another left wing nut case down the drain, just like Air Head America.
So you think that because you had the temerity to speak out against the Catholic Church you should receive a pass? Wrong. I am not Catholic, but I can tell you emphatically that anti-Chisitian issues are a bastion of the left. Your resignation, reportedly not asked for, is about the only dignified way you can extricate yourself from having made comments hardly becoming anyone with any sense of decency.
The world is not so concened about what happens to you; we are far more concerned with defeating an ambulance-chaser like Edwards, and stopping the spread of Liberal Socialism.
long time listener, first time caller.
doubt you’ll even read this but i just want wanted to add my voice in opposition to all of these freaks and wanted you to know that you have one lurker who thinks you’re amazing. you’ve changed my entire way of thinking on so many issues and perfected so many of my own arguments. i wish nothing but the best for you and i hope to god you have a bff and a bottle of wine to get you through this. hundreds of people are in awe with what you can do with words but that single voice saying you’re crap has the power to crumble all of that. and lord knows this is more than a single voice. hopefully you can keep in mind that the only reason you’re getting this is because the truth is hurting them; especially coming from someone as eloquent as you.
now i’m starting to sound creepy.
And to think Dubya is proud to call those writing this tripe his flock. Just wow.
It seems obvious that mixing “R” rated commentary with any discussion of religion will attract criticism.
Anne, you crack me up! What’s sad is that these “Christians” believe that their hate-filled rants will actually “convert” people.
I believe that these people are emboldened by the anonymity of this forum. Character is what a people do when they think that no one else is looking.
Peace!
Amanda,
Small comfort for you in all this, now you are a national figure. Your blog will be read by far more people than before. Once again, by trying to silence you, idiots like Donahue only succeed in increasing your influence and impact.
I know this because I am one such.
Incidentally, Paula Zahn’s show on CNN did a pretty good hour last night on the bigotry that atheists encounter, and did a pretty good job depicting them as ordinary people just trying to live a life, free of religion. They even had a short interview with Richard Dawkins. It was unexpectedly progressive for CNN.
Frankly, Amanda, the fact that you haven’t gone totally ballistic on these people but instead have smartly and effectively eviscerated and embarrassed them here means you are a more logical person than I. I would have just gone ape shit. Kudos to you for using the anger I can only imagine you feel to show how hate-filled these assholes — er people — are. What was one of Jesus’s most revered sayings? Oh yes, love thy neighbor….these people who write such filth about you don’t sound very Christian to me.
How nice that these good Christians do Satan’s work.
Amanda,
With respect, your “clarification” really isn’t helping. Did you expect your resignation to be rejected by the campaign? Do you still support John Edwards?
Your announcement yesterday gave a lot of people who are looking for a reason to be mad at John Edwards a foothold. If you support still support him, after all that has happened, please say so, because I would like some of these people to stop foaming at the mouth without any reason.
Thanks.
-DFL
Holy crap.
And I mean that both ways.
It seems obvious that an “R” rated commentary mixed with any discussion of religion will attract criticism
Ma’am, you weren’t disliked for disagreeing– most folks disagree. It’s the hate-filled bile that you spewed and being a rep for a presidential runner that got folks upset.
I hope that you get happier, someday. You’ve got a lot of hate, and that’s never good for folks.
And I fully expect a lot of bile for this post.
Keep fighting the good fight against the Christianist fascists, Amanda. I was saddened to hear that you stepped down from the Edwards campaign, but I’m glad you continue to call these Catholic demagogues out on their lies on this site. As a young blogger myself I am inspired by your courage to call these mysoginist psychopaths out in such a high-profile forum.
Thanks, bean. I’m serious, I love hatemail. While it’s obvious to me that Bill Donohue doesn’t have a spiritual or loving bone in his body and only uses Christianity as an excuse to hate women and shill for the Republican party, it’s not obvious to everyone since he does demonstrate some semblance—at times—of an ability to ineptly use dog whistles and code words. But the people who lift their heads when the dog whistle is blown show no such restraint. Turn on the light and the cockroaches scatter, etc.
I guess all of those WWJD bracelets now stand for “Who Would Jesus Defame?”
(Or if he’s filing Bill Donohue’s tax return, Who Would Jesus Defraud?)
Phew.
How you can open your inbox is beyond me, Amanda. You don’t just have thick skin - you’re the feminist Blogzilla, able to withstand mazers, missles, artillery shells, and bog-knows-what else because of your rherorical generator g-1 smack-fu skillz.
I am not a Christian either, I happen to be a Buddhist. But, the last line of that story has Jesus saying, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more”.
Pretty clearly, this is an acknowledgement the woman had done wrong. The only issue was the harsh punishment. You see, with or without religion, one can easily surmise actions have consequences. And society has rules to more or less systematically ensure individual behaviour stays within bounds. So there is no hypocrisy in any church or group condemning abortion. After all, whether a fetus is a distinct human being or not, it is clearly human life. And most of us tend to think human life is at least important, if not actually sacred.
Recall, Jesus was considered a radical in his time. The idea was to appreciate the value of this woman’s life, despite her bad acts– in contrast to the mysoginistic traditions of the time. Christianity tends to stand as a counter to the opression of women, not an enforcement. Of course, you have lots of exceptions in the Church’s history, but look where we are today and compare to the seventh century mindset that still pervades the Middle East.
If you want to see mysoginy, take a look at Islam. Then you might appreciate Christianity a bit more.
As I said, I happen to be a Buddhist, and we get our share of grief from all western religions. Nevertheless, clearly Christianity is not the enemy.
>why are there so many sick people out there?
Do you really need to ask? You’re talking about some of the most sexually-repressed people in the world. They’ve been taught all their lives that sex is dirty and shameful; women are “vessels of sin”. Naturally they’d use violent sexual imagery as a way to degrade Amanda. It’s how they degrade themselves, after all.
I was raised in the Presbyterian church but at 12 when my parents told me I could make my own decisions about religion I chose to sleep in Sundays and never went back. It’s largely because of people like the above e-mailers, but in Jackson Mississippi they were racist as well. Why would I want to be associated with such willful ignorance and hate? People scratch their heads and ask why I’m not a believer. Mostly it’s because the Flock is so full of A-holes. I believe in the Golden Rule and that’s enough for me.
Jesus Quintana: You ready to be fucked, man? I see you rolled your way into the semis. Dios mio, man. Liam and me, we’re gonna fuck you up.
The Dude: Yeah, well, you know, that’s just, like, your opinion, man.
Jesus Quintana: Let me tell you something, pendejo. You pull any of your crazy shit with us, you flash a piece out on the lanes, I’ll take it away from you, stick it up your ass and pull the fucking trigger ’til it goes “click.”
The Dude: Jesus.
Jesus Quintana: You said it, man. Nobody fucks with the Jesus.
Walter Sobchak: Eight-year-olds, Dude.
Amanda -
How closely do these hate mails resemble the usual sewage that has to show up in your inbox just from writing on Pandagon? Has Donohue’s rantings given you a higher quality of diarrhea than you normally get from misogynistic right-wingers, or is this typical sludge from the minds of typical morons?
And, speaking as a Catholic, if you’re an English major you have probably read the Bible more (and more carefully) than a lot of Catholics do. The Church doesn’t encourage its members to be reading it by themselves without supervision - they may get ideas. I’ve read it myself many times, which is why I have so many issues with my own Catholic religion, but I know I’m an exception and not the rule. We’re not all haters, and Bill Donohue certainly doesn’t speak for all of us.
By the way, Amanda, as a Christian, I want you to know that these idiots offend me more than anything you’ve ever written.
I’ve been out there defending you. Eventually, you run out of cheeks with these people, don’t you?
Lord love a duck because he has got to be having problems with that clueless crew. As a person who has struggled with her own faith and has lived with that rare breed, the honest-to-God true Christian (scary people, good does not describe them adequately), I can quarantee that the people emailing that trash to you are the faithless and lost. They can read the Bible, go to church and even confess but they just do not get what Christ was talking about all those years ago.
All religions have these asshats, they all want to be part of the in crowd and are willing to do, say and be anything to attain it. Heck, I’ve talked to supposed athiests who are trying to formalize their beliefs around a sort of high schooly. preppy concept. Telling them to grow up doesn’t help and for reasons outside of reality, they already think that they know how to get laid. Ride the wave and remember, this too shall pass.
Amanda, you’ve got bigger balls than any of the “men” who wrote those stupid things to you.
I’m thankful I can read and learn from you and I’m sure that goes for all readers of Pandagon with an IQ above 60. Exposing the thoughts of your critics helps show them for what they really are.
Hang tough and we’ll all get past this stupidity…
Amanda,
It’s a funny thing when people cannot take criticism but criticise everyone else. I’m, of course, using the word criticise pretty freely here since what they’re doing goes further and is pretty nasty. I prefer to think of these people as those that try hard to stick to old ass dying principles-principles that as time passes they get more desperate to uphold, and tend to go ballistic and insult everyone trying to defend them. I’m a Catholic who likes to read this blog for the information provided and the different point of views. The Catholic Church is one of those institutions holding on to old ass dying principles and cannot accept that most Catholics (like myself) have more modern views. Those people sending emails like the ones you quoted do not deserve to be listened to.
BTW, good for you for sticking to your style and resigning when a job-albeit an important one-makes you to move away from it.
Amanda,
It’s a funny thing when people cannot take criticism but criticise everyone else. I’m, of course, using the word criticize pretty freely here since what they’re doing goes further and is pretty nasty. I prefer to think of these people as those that try hard to stick to old ass dying principles-principles that as time passes they get more desperate to uphold, and tend to go ballistic and insult everyone trying to defend them. I’m a Catholic who likes to read this blog for the information provided and the different point of views. The Catholic Church is one of those institutions holding on to old ass dying principles and cannot accept that most Catholics (like myself) have more modern views. Those people sending emails like the ones you quoted do not deserve to be listened to.
BTW, good for you for sticking to your style and resigning when a job-albeit an important one-makes you to move away from it.
Skimming those messages, because I couldn’t bear to read them word for word, has left me feeling sick. I just finished Gerry Spence’s new book, so at least I have an idea where this good old American culture of hate, hate and more hatred comes from… You do great work, Amanda - keep it up!
Paul Bernard from Scottsdale has actually broached one of the key facets of the Catholic method of birth control. There are some other, not to vague references in the bible to the other one. You could conduct an interesting survey among these people as to their preferred method of avoiding preganancy. It’s a rather ideal system from their point of view, since the guys are probably far happier with it than women. One other side bar question to the survey would also be interesting. Just how long after the most recent episode of 24 did these malignant morons write these letters? One other question. Do they take Holy Communion with those mouths? Truly, according to their lights, doth the Body of Christ wander the wilderness anew once they’ve taken the host.
Amanda,
From one “non-believer” to another — THANK YOU for being here.
I’m sorry you are taking such abuse from the christians. I grew up in middle of that shit storm and it took awhile to get my head straightened out.
The fact that they are so full of hate and violence was the key to driving me out.
Like you actually read their book of magic. I could never understand how an institution that published something so beautiful as the Sermon on the Mount or the passage you quoted could yield such crud as William Donahue or Jerry Falwell. THERE’S the real mystery in their religion.
It’s heartening to know you are out there, especially after losing Molly.
Thank you,
Stephen
Amanda,
I would assume you are a lost sheep, and Jesus hung around sinners - its odd Donohue hasn’t reached out to you in this way.
Luke 15: 3-7 NIV
Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
I guess his bible instructs him to seek out and destroy lost sheep. Kind of the opposite of what Jesus taught us, isn’t it?
Wow. That’s some mailbag. I’m sure glad to see the armies of Civility are out in force.
I’m assuming there are a good number of friendly Christians also pointing out that you are probably a Lesbian? This sort of a person usually can’t resist the temptation to toss a bit of homophobia into the stew…
I give it, oh, 30 seconds before Hugh Hewitt or Kathryn Lopez tells us that “Um, these aren’t real Christians.”
If Bertrand Russell were alive today, “Why I’m Not a Christian” would be much longer. Since I’m not actually a Christian, I don’t mind passing judgment and calling these people what they are: assholes.
An upside to the ignorant, sick and hateful remarks from some of the religious pushers is that like Creationists’ drivel, their comments only serve to undermine the credibility of their religion.
Thanks, Amanda, for writing what you write.
Hm, keep an eye on this kind of stuff. I think it’s only going to get worse.
Amanda, I am proud to be associated with this blog, with its fine group of writers and commenters, and with you. And the vacuous thugs’ attacks just make that pride greater.
Update: To correct misinformation in the comments, I was not “fired�. I offered my resignation and it was accepted.
Oh, please! No one was born yesterday. You promised Edwards you wouldn’t go out of your way to offend Catholics and then yesterday, you did it again. You were allowed to resign instead of getting shi*tcanned. What a mistake he made trusting you at your word.
Just wanted to echo the above posters, that’s an incredibly brave, coherent, kick-ass response post in the face of all these hypocritical assholes. Of course, I’m sure the media will pick this up and make exposing Donhue and his follower’s bullshit their first priority…
The right-wing blogosphere is filled with concerned citizens who come over to visit our pastures and screech for hours about the occasional cowpie, then return home to their toxic waste dumps and bed down in dried vomit…
Even better, that story from the Bible about the woman being stoned? According to Misquoting Jesus (Bart Ehrman), most Biblical exigesis scholars think that it wasn’t part of the original book, but added by a later faction.
I guess these idiot letter-writers figure they’re doing “God’s work” or some such crap by sending you such hateful comments.
I cannot believe that they have the nerve to call themselves “Christians.”
“What you need is to be raped and beaten daily”
Jesus would be proud.
I pray for people like you for making such comments that are so offensive. You would be up a creek if you said these things similar to Jews, Muslims, Buddhist etc. Free Speech is one thing Hate Speech is another. Never mind what Bill Donohue thinks, I think you owe an apology for offending many of the good Catholics think out there.
Anti-Catholicism like this is the “Anti-Semitism of liberals.”
Jesus would be proud.
Maybe not, but Yahweh sure would.
Reply macro: Do your mother and your pastor know you talk like this?
Amanda - I will not stoop to the low level of name calling and attacks on you personally. Many in my family have served in the Military to protect your right to voice your opinion. What I take exception with is the fact that I am constantly hounded to be more tolerant of other people and their faith, lifestyle, heritage, and so on. But, in almost the same breath, I am attacked as a racist for wanting to enforce the laws of the land when it comes to borders, or wanting an official language (such as Mexico has already), or wanting to perhaps getting upset when children are told they cannot observe their Christian faith in a public school, but to force students to “become muslim for a month” is OK.
I guess my point here is that I can tolerate a lot, but that does not mean I accept it. But, it did appear on your blog and in your replies (as well as some of the messages you have received from people whom I now pray will see their errors and repent) that you are unwilling to even tolerate Christianity, which is the second oldest (mono-theistic) faith on the planet.
It’s perfectly within your rights to be critical of Catholic teachings. I would only ask that you take the effort to try to understand why the teachings are what they are before being critical. Anything less is intellectually lazy.
Your belief that birth control and condoms may save lives is also a fine conclusion for someone who believes that any ends is justified by the means. However, the threats from which you wish to save are by-products of life in sin.
Christians believe that human body was created in the image of God. Catholic teachings challenge individuals, who are blessed by God with free will, to choose to act according to his will, to not abuse their bodies or their minds. To treat all human life with dignity (so the name calling your getting is an egregious sin by those who are casting stones).
The notion that two wrongs makes a right is simply wrong. The only answer is to avoid sin. What you are selling is false remedies, that further debase human life.
Again, I only ask that you understand that which you are criticizing, rather that parroting the bigoted statements of others. Some self-reflection might also do you good. You’re anger and hatred can’t possibly be the result from any personal experience with the church.
However you left the Edwards campaign (whether you tendered your resignation or were asked for it), it’s clear to me that he couldn’t afford to have someone as mis-directed and bitter as you on board.
another angry ugly “woman”. Amanda, do yerself a favor. go buy some birkenstocks, eat some tofu, and shut yer canine face up…
[…] Well, history seems to be repeating itself here. Yesterday, I wrote a post criticizing one of Edwards’ bloggers silly political moves. In short, one of these controversial bloggers, wrote another blog post over the weekend that referenced Christianity in a way that some people may perceive to be insulting. I personally don’t believe that anything that she said was terrible, nor do I believe that she should be censored or anything even close to that. If she was just another blogger, it wouldn’t matter. However, as an official blogger for a national candidate, writing another blog post about a group that just raised a bunch of hell is an absolutely stupid thing to do. Hours after my post, Amanda announced her resignation [Mirrored Here]. Coincidence ? I think not. Further, I don’t believe she should have resigned. I believe she should have been fired and she should have given Edwards the ability to do that. I take campaigns seriously and when you’re working on a campaign, especially in a publicitly role, your personal issues take a backseat to the candidate’s success. Any staffer that selfishly and foolishly risks the political future of their candidate should be removed from the campaign, immediately. I’m glad Amanda or Edwards took my advice. […]
Such “Feminism” Is an Insult to Man and Woman…
Not to beat a dead horse here, but it’s been so long since I encountered one of these weak-willed, hysterical……
The ‘Bloggergate’ and related links…
Under attack, Pandagon has been down all day. But you can see here (and re-posted here) what scum of the Earth resides on the political Right in this country. This is a good time to read this again. And please……
I’m glad you cut yourself loose, Amanda. You’re much to smart and sassy to live inside the straitjacket of a Presidential campaign.
And damn, I’ve been trying to post that since about 2 this afternoon. Hope you’re hanging in under the onslaught.
The mix of bragging (”I had the nerve to criticize” — a position more than 50% of voters agree with; some nerve) and preachiness (”these supposed Christians”) was, I fear, too volatile a mix for any mainstream campaign. You’re supposed to represent the candidate to as broad a range of listeners as possible, not indulge in “public self-esteem sessions” and the kind of moral castigations, sprinkled with scat, that have become the two horses you seem to enjoy riding the most.
Just walk away — you don’t need to work your resume here at your own site: you’re proud of yourself — great; you’re morally superior to those who disagree with you — again, congratulations.
And you weren’t fired — kudos.
Still voting for Edwards?
Wow, we live in a really sick society. And yet, Amanda is the one being attacked for being “offensive.” I don’t get it.
“Never mind what Bill Donohue thinks, I think you owe an apology for offending many of the good Catholics think out there.”
Bull shit. All of my friends are Catholic and Christian - they ALL vote liberal. All of them would support Amanda’s freedom of speech despite their personal feelings being “hurt” because somebody knocked their religion. Do you know why? Because they are all strong in their faith.
bah, politics…. perhaps its best your not involved in that shameless race to the…uh.. middle…
everyone knows that live is truly lived outside the lines.
go get’em
From World-O-Crap:
‘Nuff said.
The thick of the so-called Christians harrassing you are not, in fact, an accurate reflection of God or the Bible.
Most Christians are nice people. The people slandering you and heaving insults at you are merely immature people, who find comfort in the anonymity of the internet.
People like that have threatened me before, too–nothing comes of it. Don’t let it trouble you.
Although I happen to disagree with 99.99% of what you write, I firmly believe in your right to write. (Yick. What a sentence.) I find most of what you’ve written about Christianity to be incredibly offensive.
Guess what? That means that I don’t usually visit your site. You’ve never come knocking on my door to spew in my face, so honestly, it’s up to me as to whether or not I see your writing.
That being said, would the idiots who spew that vile twaddle in the name of Christ please get off the bus? You’re bothering me.
How *exactly* is condemning people and name-calling either Christ-like or likely to bring them into the Church?
Right. Didn’t think you had an answer for that.
I beg your forgiveness for the words of my co-religionists. May a gracious God watch over us all.
I feel a post about this coming from General J.C. Christian, Patriot soon. Amanda, I’m not sure you fully understand the solemn importance of men wrestling together in the style of the ancient Spartans. When they don’t get to vent their manly energy that way, it can manifest in ugly scathing emails against women, who tend to look at the size of these men’s little soldiers and giggle. Look, not everybody is endowed with three-inch monsters, ok?! HARLOT! WENCH!
Oops, sorry, got a little carried away there.
C. Tang, you sure are jerking yourself off hard to lecture anyone about the dangers of self-aggrandization.
Gee, who let in all the religious trolls?
Ah yes, the pained tone of voice, the “I’ll pray for you”, the holier-than-thou sanctimoniousness, the moral rightousness and the certainty that Amanda will be “punished by God.” All the while spitting out the most disgusting hatred (and justifying it because one is a “moral Christian.”)
Isn’t there something about removing the beam from one’s own eye before worrying about the mote in someone else’s?
And what’s so great about monotheism? From where I stand, I’d love to throw all of you monotheists together in a sandpit and let you fight it out which one of your gods is the “true God.” It’s about as silly to me as claiming Chinese is the only True Language and all the rest of us non-Chinese speakers have to learn it and use only it.
What a typically optimistic statement :p
ts wrote :
Funny you mention that, because it’s what I think of them. The term I prefer for these people is “fake Christians” (which is a label I gladly apply to the Amanda-haters in this thread, too), but I suppose they could also be called “Paulians”, as they often seem to worship Paul instead of Jesus. They’re distressingly common here in Texas.
Maybe the the Bibles they’re reading are missing the Gospels?
“I’ll pray for you.”
“Prepare to be disappointed… again.”
Honestly, I’ve never cared for the “look at all my hate mail” post, no matter which side does it. It’s a logical fallacy that drawing the abuse and ire of hateful, intemperate, disturbed people means that one is in the right, just as it would be a logical fallacy to conclude that such mail means one is in the wrong.
Just wanna let you know, another reader gained from the fiasco. Keep the faith.
I am so flipping angry I could spit nails (no, that isn’t a snide religious comment, for you trolls).
What’s happened to you and Melissa is just way beyond the pale.
No, people do *not* have to respect other people’s religion. All we have to do is respect your right to believe in it. I have a right to call a belief ridiculous if that’s how I see it.
I never post my blog address here, because it’s just a little personal rambling…but I’ve posted twice on this topic in two days, and some interesting discussion has cropped up, so if anyone is interested it’s http://broceliand.livejournal.com/
And for trolls? Be aware. Post on my blog and you’re going to be deleted, tout suite. It’s bad enough I have to share the planet with people capable of spewing this sort of personal vitupretativeness, I won’t share blog space with you.
1. I think it’s hilarious that so many people on these threads adamantly refuse to believe you resigned. (Don’t get me wrong; I think it’s horrible you felt you had to; I just think it’s interesting that so many people seem to have such an investment in you being actually fired.)
2. I WANT THESE FUCKERS OUT OF MY RELIGION, DAMMIT! To all you trolls/”concerned Christians”/what-the-fuck-evers: People like you, with your holier-than-thou attitudes and your passive-aggressive “I’ll pray for you”s and your rampant assholery and bigotry that you feel free to spew anonymously while living it up as big men at church, are the reason that I’m so ashamed of admitting that I’m Christian.
There’s a reason Dante saw so many Popes (and other “good” Christians) stuck in his vision of hell. (That, come to think of it, is probably why none of the Divine Comedy ever appears in Christian bookstores…)
Amanda, I’ll keep saying this until the trolls lay off: I may not always agree with you, but I do respect you, and I’m on your side here.
EX-FED:
Those who send such mail deserve as much exposure as they get, if not more. That doesn’t mean Marcotte was originally in the right, but it does mean the hate-mailers are wrong - and not only wrong, but seriously fucking deranged if they think their insane ravings will be taken for anything but the mewling of mean-spirited ‘yes men.’
It’s perfectly legitimate for Marcotte to hold those turds to their own “righteous standards.� They’re being measured by their own yardsticks, though most of them are too stupid to see how that’s a bad thing.
If I were Amanda, I’d have posted their e-mail addresses as well as their names.
I just want to throw my support in the ring for you, Amanda.
I’d also like to congratulate you for getting on the Bill O’Reilly show, or whatever it’s called. Like they say, “if they’re shooting at you, you must be doing something right.”
“The people slandering you and heaving insults at you are merely immature people, who find comfort in the anonymity of the internet.”
No doubt there’s some truth in the second half of that statement, but the first half is a dangerous illusion. My children are real, actual immature people and they never, ever would even dream up, much less hurl at others, the nasty shit that these people are having no trouble dreaming up and hurling at Amanda.
Oh Ex-Fed, I usually do, too. But this is about 1/50th of what I’ve gotten. The complete pile of hate mail is beyond the “few assholes” thing and right into the secure “look at who responds to Donohue’s dog whistles” territory.
as least there is one thing you can take comfort in amanda. you just know that all these dreadfully unoriginal hateful comments being made by anonymous posters, well these are the folks who will die a quiet death. that maybe they have children that are forced to pretend to love them, perhaps a wife or husband who feigns the enjoyment of their company or just avoids them altogether, a job that is slowly gripping their heart and squeezing the life out of it, but no real love. no real friends. no real connection to any living thing. they are shells of humanity and their only solace is a pretend man who lives in the sky who promises to keep them safe in exchange for worship. it is their utter emptiness that demands to be filled with delusion and hate. that they cannot control all of us is their greatest regret. but they can’t and won’t ever control and so they drool and spit and decry the depravity of it all, when truly the depravity lives on the stench of their own breath.
“Anti-Catholicism like this is the ‘Anti-Semitism of liberals.’â€?
Which means what, that conservatives are all anti-Semites? Like that’s news?
Amanda: As a Christ-centered Friend, I can say that it’s pretty obvious that those claiming here to be Christians are nothing of the sort. I am so sorry that all of this hatred and bile has been thrown your way. Know that there are folks out here who are praying for you, and for Shakes, and who hope that you will take a nice, long, hot shower (to clean off the troll spit - how they do spray!), have a good cup of coffee, and then go out to keep on fighting the good fight.
What lovely e-mail you’re getting from these fine folks, Amanda. We will know they are Christians by their love, evidently.
May I suggest that the Edwards campaign hire the late Anna Nicole Smith to replace Amanda and Shakes? Sure, she’s dead, but her gold-digging reputation is much more palatable to the Catholic League’s patriarchal, patronizing, misogynistic view of women. Hell, they represent 300,000 Catholics, which is approximately 0.54% of all of America’s 65 million Catholics. That 0.54% could be just the “bump” Mr. Edwards will need for victory.
Just a thought.
I’m not writing you as a Christian. I’m writing to you as someone that is infuriated with your absolutely idiotic lack of censorship and self-restraint. I am an Edwards supporter and I believe he would be an excellent president, which is why I am so amazed that staffed bloggers like you, who can write so smarmily on a number of things and APPEAR to be incredibly politically savvy, would be so DENSE and careless as to give Republicans and FOX News (not to mention other Democrats) fodder to run Edward’s campaign into the ground with.
So while you continue to post things that refute that you have been fired (I could care less if you were or if you resigned) and act incredibly smug and proud over the ruckus you’ve caused in the ignorant and close-minded Christian community, remember this: Yes, the reaction to your words have demonstrated the stupidity and volatile nature of the typical right-wing Christian. However, there are many out there other than you that do the job perfectly well. What have you really accomplished? You’ve created the first dark spot on a so-far spotless campaign and given the Republican media machine a new catch-phrase to associate with Edwards. “Christian hater” will be the “flip flop” of ‘08 and thanks to you, Edwards will not make it pass the primary.
As much as we have disagreed with each other politically, Amanda, I have to give you much credit and the highest respect for how you have handled this shitstorm…and taking down that asshat Donohue for dumping on you with his bigotry would be a nice bonus.
I’m not a fan of John Edwards (or any Democrat, for that matter, for my own personal reasons), and I still question the way that he handled your situation…but I believe that you resigning and reclaiming your right to speak your mind to the fullest is the right thing to do under the circumstances.
As for the brutal hate mail and the DoS attacks that you are getting: well, that’s always what happens to women who have the stones to speak out for themselves….and I especially am tickled with the thinly veiled lust/hate letters sent by those fools who are so fearful of their own sexuality that they would impose it on you.
Hopefully, this sorry and sad episode (and attempted witch burning) will backfire on these wingnut cretins.
These folks represent religion the way Hitler represented Germany….that is to say, not too well.
Props to ‘ya, Amanda…whatever our differences may be, I’m in full support of ‘ya. You didn’t deserve any of this crap.
Anthony
I just do not understand that if you do not have a religion, are not of a Christian faith, why be so vile to the ones that are. I believe in God, but do not practice a particular faith, but I am not critical or ugly to the ones that choose to. Just was curious.
Amanda,
I believe that your decision was the best for the circumstances. I personally find your writings to be offensive, yet frankly edgy and usually interesting. I can see how they might by construed to be the worst, and will not lie that I thought your association with John Edwards was not a good thing.
Your decision to leave the Edwards campaign, was if my take is correct a well meaning sacrifice, to take fire off the Edwards Campaign. To me it showed you really cared about a John Edwards Presidency and the direction of our country. I hope that doesn’t change.
I think you have a wonderful career in political punditry, which should make you loads of money to buy the music collection of your dreamsď?Š Controversy is what people like to see these days, and you are nothing if not controversial.
(And by the way, my brother saw your picture and thinks you’re pretty cute, so don’t let the bastards get you down. You are far far far from ugly)
I wish you the best of luck, and the hope that you continue to stir the pot with your edgy writings. If there is a truly just God in the Universe we will see you on MSNBC debating with some of your critics in a short order.
Take Care!
Dav
Sometimes I want to write more long rants about how the anti-abortion position isn’t even Catholic canon, but I’ve already ranted about that before. So I said this instead:
http://sideshow.me.uk/sfeb07.htm#02140154
i know that the argument ‘they weren’t real Christians’ is frustrating to non Christians because where do you draw the line - two swear words? three i wish you were deads? or worse? and yet, and yet, Jesus said, “You will know them [His true followers] by their fruit.” The fruit or outcome of following Jesus (and I know this from 25 years of following Jesus) is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. one of Jesus’ strongest followers described love as being patient and kind. he said that love (the leading and most important sign of being a follower of Jesus) doesn’t envy or boast. it isn’t proud or rude or self-seeking or easily angered and it keeps no record of wrongs. love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. it always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perserveres. None of these were displayed in the horrid, horrid comments of those who wrote to you. i come by your site from time to time and hardly agree with any of it. as a Christian I often turn away mid article because it’s too painful to read such hate being directed toward me. nevertheless, these vile comments were made by people who do not come even close to loving Jesus. religious? ya maybe, but Christian in the true meaning of the word - nope i don’t believe so. does this mean that there are going to be a lot of very surprised and disapointed people come judgement day? i think so.
First-time commenter. Sorry you have to deal with so many fucktards.
I am so sorry that these kinds of people exist in the world and I was absolutely ecstatic to hear that you were on the staff for Edwards. I’ve been lurking here for awhile and I love reading your opinions and views. And you are a braver woman than I to open your e-mails to read the poison that they want to spew at you.
Thank you for running an amazing blog.
Kick ass and take names, Amanda. And publish names. And keep tarring them with that brush. I just wonder why Donohue hasn’t apologized for the comments by people like Annette D’Amato and Andy Driggers. Why won’t he condemn these comments?!
Could it be that he agrees with them?
May I suggest that the Edwards campaign hire the late Anna Nicole Smith to replace Amanda and Shakes? Sure, she’s dead, . . .
Sure, why not? Dead democrats vote in every election.
I think you are confused here. As your story ends, Jesus said, “go, and from now on sin no more”. I don’t think that was meant to say the woman had done nothing wrong and could carry on without consequences.
I am not a Christian. I happen to be a Buddhist, but even without religion, it is stating the obvious to note actions have consequences.
If you are looking for a misogynistic religion, forget Christianity. That whole story you told was about a group of people applying harsh punishment for a woman, where a similar act by a man might go unnoticed. Christianity changed all that. The fact one might be outraged by presumed misogyny can only be possible in a culture where it is not accepted.
On the other hand, spend a day in the present-day land where that story took place. The stoning that woman was about to receive is fairly common today.
Christianity is not the enemy.
Not to feed the trolls or anything but:
But, it did appear on your blog and in your replies (as well as some of the messages you have received from people whom I now pray will see their errors and repent) that you are unwilling to even tolerate Christianity, which is the second oldest (mono-theistic) faith on the planet.
I don’t get it, is there some kind of hierarchy of religion that makes your religion more specialer the longer it’s been around? Because if so, as a Jew, I’d like to say STFU. Now I’m off to make those n00b Mormons give me Utah.
Okay now that I got that out of my sytem…
Let me just add my voice to the chorus of support.
Although I don’t comment much I read Pandagon and Shake’s Sis every day, multiple times a day. Sometimes Amanda and Melissa’s post really make me think, other times they “just” add a little humor and good to my day. It just breaks my heart to see such excellent and thoughtful writers get treated like crap. I hope to see nothing but good come to Amanda and Melissa from now on.
To Kyle @ 1:16pm:
Wow. Just wow. Kyle just claimed himself omnicient. Film at 11.
Kyle, are you saying that all church experiences are good, pure, and without sin? Land sakes, I’d like to visit YOUR church.
At my church there are no such illusions.
Every Good Friday the prayers include this bit, which came to mind while I read the foul-mouth invective of the self-righteous:
Just so.
Amanda:
As many differences we have had in the past, I have to give you much respect and gratitude and sincere thanks for how you have handled this shitstorm around you.
I’m no fan of John Edwards (or pretty much any Democrat, for that matter; I tend to attack them from the Independent Left), and I do think that he could have handled the controversy much better than he did….but in the long run, I think that your decision to resign his campaign and focus your efforts on knocking that mountain of human crap named Donohue and his Christian FRight haters and witch-hunters is the best one.
As for the hate mail and the DoS attacks: well, that’s par for the course for those who simply canot stand a woman with the stones to call them out on their misogynist bullshit. And as a sex radical, I’m particularly fascinated by all the supposedly “moral Christian men” who are so unsure of their sexuality that they would impose their repressed desires on you.
However we may disagree on some matters, Amanda, on this one you have my full support and blessings. You didn’t deserve any of the crap they piled on to you; it’s great to see that you are pissed enough to throw it back at ‘em. Just get ‘em..and don’t let up.
Anthony
OK…I didn’t know that my original comnent was in moderation before I posted the second one….sorry about that.
Just keep the second one and omit the first, please.
Anthony
What a coincidence! I was just talking to the Pope and he said that he had consulted Xana about Church doctrine, and he was going to issue a moto proprio allowing priests and homosexuals to be married, women to be ordained, and he was going to ditch that contraception and abortion prohibition.
See, persistence pays off sometimes
Amanda, you are misrepresenting my statement with the implication that my opinion has anything to do with your writings on the Catholic Church and that I claim to follow Jesus. You libeled three demonstratively innocent Duke students for no other reason than you either thought it was funny or you were completely ignorant of the facts of the case. Your statement was cruel and uninformed. Now you have removed all traces of your past writings on the Duke lacrosse players because you are also, apparently, spineless. I expect this comment to be moderated away because of this fact.
I also realized today that I’ve been misspelling my name.
Keep up the good work! If you’ve pissed these people off you are doing something right. Personally, I’m glad you are off the leash and free to fight back against the Jesus freaks and their mindless, hateful minions.
Incredible. I laughed as I read this article. You talk about Plan B for Mary and God’s sperm, use “fuck” as a verb, noun and adjective and then get bent out of shape when someone tells you to go to hell? I understand the hypocrisy, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that you are an idiot and a whore who will do what you need to be appreciated and important (see, AM’s “apology”), up to and including vulgarly lashing out at a religion and then turning your coquettish side to the camera and crying “Poor little me.”
Throwing out my support as well - Amanda, you’re fabulous. Your strength and your intelligence scares these weak, ignorant cowards to the depths of their souls, terrorizes their authoritarian little minds and egos until they mess their pants.
Keep kicking ass, Amanda. When they’re resorting to these quote-unquote “tactics”, you know you’ve got them cowed in any way that really matters.
[…] Some people are wrong, about moral dilemmas, and about poems, too, for that matter. […]
So, saying “fuck” = personal threats. Fascinating stuff, shit for brains.
The great unmentionable evil at the center of our culture is monotheism. From a barbaric Bronze Age text known as the New Testament, three antihuman religions have evolved —
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These are sky-god religions. They are, literally, patriarchal — God is the omnipotent father — hence the loathing of women for 2,000 years in those countries affected by the sky-god and his earthly male delegates.
Gore Vidal, “Monotheism and Its Discontents,” The Nation, 13 July 1992; adapted from the 1992 Lowell Lecture at Harvard.
Nothing and no one has done more to impede civilization and human society than Christianity and Islam, the two bastard children of Judaism.
And in that tale of the legendary itinerant preacher and reputed wonder-worker known today as Jesus, it is interesting to consider how much the story is improved with the theory that “the woman taken in adultery” was the preacher’s wife.
[”Take care of yourself / Get plenty of rest.” Bob Dylan said that.
Christianity invented religious fanaticism; so, please keep safe. (I said that.)]
I wrote this post this morning, flush with the excitement of righteous anger and light-headedness of waking up too early. And then Pandagon went down! Seems a little anticlimactic to post it now… not like that’s going to stop me.
*~*~*~*~*~
My husband and I live better Christian lives than these people, and we’re atheists!
I second ahem in that I hope these fine folk don’t mind their names turning up on the web sometime in the future. Ze internets is a great place to google people that I’m thinking of employing, who volunteer for me, or who want to join my church.
Andy Driggers? Andy Driggers Rape threats? Andy Driggers of Dallas TX? Rape threats?
Vivian Thomas? Vivian Thomas, a libelous fraud? Vivian Thomas libelous fraud?
Annette D’Amato? Annette D’Amato demon eyebrows? Annette D’Amato vile screed?
Paul Bernard? Paul Bernard blowjobs? Paul Bernard of Scottsdale AZ blowjobs?
Bud Phelps? Bud Phelps rape threats? Bud Phelps rape threats?
Romanco De Leone? Romanco De Leone long cock? Romanco De Leone rape threats?
That took me a shitload of time to code. Y’all better steal it and use it as you best see fit.
(I said I was a better Christian (atheist), not a perfect Christian (atheist).)
hey panda-gone, why all the hate? do you ever stop to think how much good catholics are doing in this society? The amount of charitable work done each week by Catholics in this nation is staggering. I’d love to know how many thousands of meals are donated by Catholics to the poor everyday! Not to mention the charity of many many religious groups in this country and around the world that are doing amazing things like traveling to Honduras on a mission trip, risking their lives, to provide clean water and hygiene!
I ask of you: Take down the rhetoric and put some positive energy into our society. SHOW others what you are all about with examples of your goodness and deeds. You may actually get some followers and converts to sate your ego.
screaming vulgarities on a website only exacerbates the division in our society.
all you need is love
all you need is love
all you need is love, love. Love is all you need
What a sad, disgusting freak show.
Amanda, I keep getting blown away by the force and clarity with which you present your arguments. I will savor your writing and analysis all the more knowing how it gets under the skin of these reptiles.
Hey, marc page, I’ll let you be in my dream if I can be in yours.
Although I disagree with what you wrote, I don’t think Christians should respond with hate mail. You can’t just assume that all these people are Christians as well. Not all Catholics are Christians. The main quote I saw about the Holy Spirit was not appropriate and made me sad though. I would hope that we could discuss this and not respond with cuss words.
Absolutely, Heraclitus, because:
“She knows there’s no success like failure /
And that failure’s no success at all.”
Not all of the people who hate you are Christian.
O’Reilly apparently hates your guts too.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=IcRSsNYr5LU
It must really suck for you to get slapped up the side of the head so hard with reality… I mean, after years of censoring all those who disagree with you into oblivion, you finally found out that you are a spineless, irrational feminist who cannot exist in the real world.
There is no censorship in real life, moron.
I made copy of your posts too, because I know how you anti-social marxists love to re-write history:
http://no-maam.blogspot.com/2007/02/amanda-marcotte-pandagon-get-oppressed.html
If you were capable of linear thinking, you could have avoided this… but then it wouldn’t have been quite as much fun for the rest of us…
The world is laughing at you!
You deserve it.
MWUH HAH HAH HA!
Hell hath no humour like a feminist exposed.
Amanda - I’m floored by the malicious and vicious messages you’ve received. Just floored. I don’t feel bad about one single thing I’ve written at GenW the past few days.
The problem? These people were probably watching Bill O’Reilly last night without holding B.A.’s in Mass Communications (of which I do). Remember, these people are not capable of critical thinking and seeing entertainment designed to ‘make money’ for what it is. They wouldn’t know a credible news source if it came up and bit them on their behinds.
I truly believe the universe brings everything full circle. It’s going to come full circle for these ridiculous little wingnuts that have written these atrocious things to you when John wins. And the Karma Bus? Sometimes it runs over people. Bill Donahue in his arrogance, hatred, and blind-rage ought to be paying heed to that. No, he may NOT have written these things . . . but he and his friend Billy Bob O’Reilly might as well have placed the keyboard at the hands of these whackaloons.
Amanda —
You’re doing a great thing. The crazy fanatics are simply exposing their craziness in attacking you. The truth is, these people are worried. Because finally “religious” viewpoints are losing their immunity from criticism. “God told me so” isn’t cutting it anymore. Not as an excuse for hatred, for oppression, or for any reprehensible behavior.
We live in a place where our government actively uses TORTURE and the religious right (sic) doesn’t see it as a problem. Nope. Sex is the problem. They’re nuts and they’re being called on it.
The “free pass” is over for thugs——even “God fearing” thugs——is ending.
Del Shaffer writes:
“Not all Catholics are Christians.”
See it? Aside from being very fuzzy on the concept, they express bigotry toward each other.
I’m telling you, these people are a menace.
I would like to point out, for all the catholics/christians, that this type of HATEFUL and EVIL behavior is the last thing that Jesus wanted for any of us. It goes against everything he stood for, and you think that dying on the cross for us would send a message to the religious masses about how important it is to stand up for what you believe in, to respect others and their beliefs-even if you don’t agree. God gave us free will. Government gave us free speech. Please people, before you open your nasty mouths take a second to think about what you are projecting. -Do these people kiss their children with their filthy mouths. I pray that these people are barren themselves, so they don’t have children that may grow up to be gay or atheist or feminist or intelligent or anything different than their bigoted parents that way their parents won’t end up hating them or telling them they just need to be fucked good and hard by a member of the opposite sex.
MARC:
Don’t blame religion, which is neither good nor bad in itself. Blame assholes who use religion to further their own agendas, and who believe their holy book is an appropriate club with which to punish impudent non-believers – or even other believers, as is the case with so many anti-ecumenists who bash Catholics for not being “Christian enough.â€?
You know what would be balm for your soul right now? Luther, the 2003 version. It’s a lush historical drama about the dude whose writing about the Catholic Church makes you look like a piker.
Bloggers didn’t invent incivility, you know. Some of Luther’s screeds against the pope would make Bill Donohue clutch his pearls so hard he’d choke to death. And one of his pamphlets was illustrated with an engraving of a cardinal as an ass—and I don’t mean a donkey—playing a harp. The ass had a li’l cardinal’s hat and everything.
Yeah, it was underwritten by a Lutheran organization, so it paints him a bit larger than life, and the script can’t even touch A Man For All Seasons, but it’s got hot guys (Joseph Fiennes!) and great actors (Peter Ustinov! Alfred Molina!) and it’s engaging.
I think you’d enjoy it in light of your recent unpleasantness, and you could take some comfort in the fact that the bastards can send you ugly, ugly e-mails, but they sure as hell can’t burn you at the stake.
Wonderful have you back up. You have been in this christian’s thoughts ever since I noticed the site was down. Not all christians are scary and crazy. But your voice is a wonderful one to have added to any debate.
Augustine said that hope has two children: rage and courage. Your courage and rage give lefties hope.
No, my dear “Devils Advocate” (if that’s your real name)
These religions — Xtianity & Islam — are quite bad in themselves — root and branch. The harm to human beings and their societies flows unavoidably from the tenets and doctrines of these overgrown cults.