Nazis/Jews/Christians/Gays

[Slopeshoulder]

Before they got busy exterminating them, the Nazis passed all sorts of laws that politically, civilly, morally, psychologically, and economically disenfranchised Jewish people; they were otherized and dehumanized, and made scapegoats who allegedly were behind a huge anti-aryan conspiracy. All of which made it easier to kill them.

And now a large subset of Christians on the far right (who not incidentally publically declare that they are the only true Christians) seeks to deny gays normality (psychological diagnosis and ethics) enfranchisement (marriage, adoption), access to professions (military, teaching) while "ghettoizing" them in a minority of professions where tne can be identified (entertainment, fashion), and to impugn them with a conspiratiorial broad yet imagined "agenda" that allegedly seeks to undermine "our" way of life. And of course there are the bashings (enough of them to require changes in the law to arrest the rise in what are now classificied as hate crimes). They are also running a slate of political candidates that are undeniably theocrats who describe the current administration, its supporters, and liberal pro-gay Christians in terms once used against the pre-nazi Weimar governmnt and culture. And of course some of them get positively OT when it comes to punishment and what passes for law and justice. Evidence for this is in culture and in this forum.

Does anyone else get chills thinking about this? I can't imagine that the gay psychologist, priest, and palliative chaplian who is cooking new years dinner for me and my wife right now can be too happy about it.

Is the situation of fundamentalist christians and LGBT people similiar in kind, and possibly degree, to that between Nazis and Jews in Germanic lands in say the 20's and 30's, before the instituionalized killing? Is it different? Are the differences driven by cultural context rather than goals and beliefs? Could it get worse if the christianists come to power? Is there POV based in any currently legitimate readings of scripture and theology? Will the non-banned representatives of this POV like to defend themselves, come clean, or reform?

I'm a boy who likes girls, but do we have a moral obligation to speak out and fight back? Is there a basis for alarm?

[100%atheist]

Before they got busy exterminating them, the Nazis passed all sorts of laws that politically, civilly, morally, psychologically, and economically disenfranchised Jewish people; they were otherized and dehumanized, and made scapegoats who allegedly were behind a huge anti-aryan conspiracy. All of which made it easier to kill them.

And now a large subset of Christians on the far right (who not incidentally publically declare that they are the only true Christians) seeks to deny gays normality (psychological diagnosis and ethics) enfranchisement (marriage, adoption), access to professions (military, teaching) while "ghettoizing" them in a minority of professions where tne can be identified (entertainment, fashion), and to impugn them with a conspiratiorial broad yet imagined "agenda" that allegedly seeks to undermine "our" way of life. And of course there are the bashings (enough of them to require changes in the law to arrest the rise in what are now classificied as hate crimes). They are also running a slate of political candidates that are undeniably theocrats who describe the current administration, its supporters, and liberal pro-gay Christians in terms once used against the pre-nazi Weimar governmnt and culture. And of course some of them get positively OT when it comes to punishment and what passes for law and justice. Evidence for this is in culture and in this forum.

Does anyone else get chills thinking about this? I can't imagine that the gay psychologist, priest, and palliative chaplian who is cooking new years dinner for me and my wife right now can be too happy about it.

Is the situation of fundamentalist christians and LGBT people similiar in kind, and possibly degree, to that between Nazis and Jews in Germanic lands in say the 20's and 30's, before the instituionalized killing? Is it different? Are the differences driven by cultural context rather than goals and beliefs? Could it get worse if the christianists come to power? Is there POV based in any currently legitimate readings of scripture and theology? Will the non-banned representatives of this POV like to defend themselves, come clean, or reform?

I'm a boy who likes girls, but do we have a moral obligation to speak out and fight back? Is there a basis for alarm?

I see these neo-Nazi themes in the approaches of fundamentalist Christians not only to gays but to many other groups including (but not limited to) "liberals", "college professors", atheists, muslims, catholics, etc. They (fundamentalists) scare me for several years already with the Glenn Beck's speech being one of scariest moments. In principle, he could command the flock to go and take over Washington, but fortunately his flock eats too many doughnuts in order to participate in any real action. Christian paramilitary groups are perhaps the most dangerous subgroups, which are, thankfully to this and previous administrations, closely watched by the FBI. Another very dangerous group is a group of senators, congressmen, and other politicians with some maniacal ideas about God sponsoring their actions.