I recently read a New York Times piece about the vigilante killing of gays in Iraq. For at least six years, gays have been bullied and harassed by security forces and beaten and killed by reactionary Islamist militias in Shiite areas of Baghdad.Ali Hili, a gay Iraqi activist who lives in London, said as many as 750 gay Iraqis have been killed in the past six years, and thousands have emigrated or are living deep in the closet.“It’s a clear war on sexual minorities on Iraq,” he said. “The … [Read more...]
Archives for March 2012
Christian Reconstructionism, Gays, and Stoning
March 27, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Dealing with difficult relationships, Part II
March 27, 2012 by Leave a Comment
This is part of a series I'm doing on dealing with difficult relationships, and most specifically dealing with strained relationships with highly religious relatives. Most of what I have to offer here are tips I've learned along the way as I've sought to work through my relationship with my parents.If you'd like to add additional tips you've learned along the way, either in a comment or by emailing me (see my "about" tab for my email address), I may incorporate additional ideas (giving … [Read more...]
Dreams of defiance and steps of healing
March 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I just read a blog post on modesty, and this excerpt stuck out to me for a very specific reason, a reason I will explain in a minute: "And men, don't let the Proverbs 7 woman deceive you!” he shouted from the pulpit.My head was pounding. I glanced around. Everyone was drinking it in, nodding solemnly.“She waits for you men. She lures you in. A glance here and a flash of skin there-- don’t trust her.I frowned. … [Read more...]
Dealing with difficult relationships, Part I
March 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I received a lot of grateful comments after the posts I wrote on coming out as an atheist, or, if the situation warrants it, on dealing with life in the closet. One theme that came out again and again was the difficulties of dealing with relationships with religious relatives. And this isn't a problem only atheists face: I've actually met Christians who are either progressive or simply describe themselves as "spiritual" but were raised in evangelical or fundamentalist families and deal with … [Read more...]
Worthwhile Reads: Positive Parenting
March 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I've been doing a bit of work on my parenting section, and in the process I found a couple of links to share.Positive Parenting is NOT Permissive Parenting clearly lays out the differences between authoritarian parenting, permissive parenting, and positive parenting.This same website offers a three-part introduction to positive parenting for newbies: Part one, Part two, and Part three.Finally, I found a post on the differences between "consequences" and "problem-solving" especially … [Read more...]
“Because that’s how God made you”
March 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The other day my daughter asked me a question:Mommy, why do I have two legs?As I looked into her curious face three answers ran through my mind:Because that's how God made you.Just because.I don't know! Let's go look it up. … [Read more...]
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