Anti-Bullying Speaker Curses Christian Teens

[Sunstone]

I think the video is ample evidence of bullying.

:biglaugh: Yup. What's not being shown in the video is the fact Savage went around before his speech and beat up all the kids who later walked out. They don't call him "Savage" for nothing. The bully.

 

[Revoltingest]

Oh yeah? Well your mother was a hamster, and your father smelled of elderberries!

The first is untrue!
How on Earth did you know of the second!?!?

I forgive abandonment of tact. Big difference.

Ahah.....this explains things.
OK, yer not a poser.

 

[YmirGF]

:biglaugh: Yup. What's not being shown in the video is the fact Savage went around before his speech and beat up all the kids who later walked out. They don't call him "Savage" for nothing. The bully.

Well, it's not a huge surprise that someone who already likes Savage would see nothing wrong with his um, er, "presentation". It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy knowing there are intellectual giants like him fighting the good fight. *sigh*

 

[Sunstone]

I think Savage made some good points. Such as the apparent fact that ignoring the Bible's condemnation of homosexuality has precedents in how other parts of the Bible are ignored.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I think Savage made some good points. Such as the apparent fact that ignoring the Bible's condemnation of homosexuality has precedents in how other parts of the Bible are ignored.

Yeah, I think he made a good point there.

I disagree with his tactics. In particular, I think the profanity was out of line, and I have a major issue with belittling any student in the context of school or an event specifically geared to students. However, I do think there were some good points that got a bit lost in the din of everything else.

 

[Kathryn]

I didn't say it was.

I did point out what everyone pretty much everywhere has yet to do. Provide evidence of Savage bullying students. That's the topic of this thread. That's the headline of all the blogs about this incident.

What is lacking is evidence of him bullying anyone. He didn't even single out Christians. So I'm still waiting for someone to show evidence for that.

I think we all agree he was tactless. There's no need to keep harping on that line of thought.

He didn't single out Christians? He singled out "the bible guys" who left PEACEABLY. Don't be coy.

 

[no-body]

Well, it's not a huge surprise that someone who already likes Savage would see nothing wrong with his um, er, "presentation". It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy knowing there are intellectual giants like him fighting the good fight. *sigh*

He's a satirist, they are lucky it wasn't worse. I think the fault is with the school.

Savage wasn't really individually attacking the kids that left but the attitude they represent. Homosexuals are spit on and being killed, a lot of time with societies consent.

Of course the dude has an agenda, that is the entire point.

 

[Kathryn]

I think the video is ample evidence of bullying. He is a highly regarded spokesman speaking to a large group of kids for Pete's sake. He then, knowingly, centers out a group of those kids, by association to their religious beliefs and is extremely insulting. This forced the kids affected into "fight or flight" mode. Wisely, they chose to leave. I shudder to think of how this would have degenerated had they stayed and taken issue with the speaker.

I can't help but wonder if those who stayed and laughed at them might now feel emboldened to belittle them and bully them FOR their beliefs. Talk about painting targets on unsuspecting kids.

Right on - the irony of the whole bullying scenario is striking. Many of the kids who yelled and yeehawed en masse at his remarks about "the bible guys" probably wouldn't have the nerve to be so rude one on one to one of "the bible guys."

Herd mentality. And a cheap shot too - the kids weren't even in the auditorium at that point! SO SOPHOMORIC.

 

[Kathryn]

Yeah, I think he made a good point there.

I disagree with his tactics. In particular, I think the profanity was out of line, and I have a major issue with belittling any student in the context of school or an event specifically geared to students. However, I do think there were some good points that got a bit lost in the din of everything else.

Can I get an "amen?"

Amen.

 

[Sunstone]

Yeah, I think he made a good point there.

I disagree with his tactics. In particular, I think the profanity was out of line, and I have a major issue with belittling any student in the context of school or an event specifically geared to students. However, I do think there were some good points that got a bit lost in the din of everything else.

I think it's a mark of the times that a relatively minor issue -- Savage's inappropriate remarks to a few high school students -- drowns out a relatively major issue -- the intolerance (and often enough violence) directed at millions of GBLT people.

 

[gnomon]

He didn't single out Christians? He singled out "the bible guys" who left PEACEABLY. Don't be coy.

He said "People often point out that they can't help with the anti-gay bullying because it says.....". He didn't say Christians. It's very clear he is referencing those people who bully gays and their use of literally interpreting those parts of the Bible.

So this leaves out people, even those who are Christians, that do not bully gays. It also leaves out those who take the Bible literally. Which was apparently the majority of his audience. That most likely includes the students who walk out as well.

He didn't identify anyone in the audience. If anything, the people who stood up and walked out identified themselves.

I don't think those students even did that, however. Because I'll say it again. It was a very small number of students from one school who walked out. Once again, did they leave because they were offended or did the teacher start that little exodus? Given how quickly they walked out either there was some part of the speech earlier that no one is posting where he was slamming them specifically or they felt that they were being targeted, which no one anywhere is saying there was, or even the mere mention of the Bible and referring to any part of it as BS was enough for them to leave.

For those who want to assume that even mentioning the Bible means them than it's their problem. If they want to assume that specifically referencing those who bully gays means Christians than it's their problem. Let's keep the focus on what he actually said. Not on what people wish to imply he said. Is criticizing those who use literal interpretations of the Bible to bully homosexuals in itself bullying? If so the implication to me is that any criticism of the Bible or those who use it to do harm to others is in itself bullying and off limits. It stifles any discussion.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

Savage was probably reacting to this:

[youtube]OGrV4VCx22g[/youtube]
Dunkerton, IA School Assembly Message (portion on homosexuality) - YouTube

And as for Dan Savage being a shock jock? Gee, here I was thinking he was a newspaper columnist.

 

[Sunstone]

And as for Dan Savage being a shock jock? Gee, here I was thinking he was a newspaper columnist.

I've heard of a Michael Savage who is a shock jock. But I didn't know Dan Savage had a radio show.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

I've heard of a Michael Savage who is a shock jock. But I didn't know Dan Savage had a radio show.

I know. It's totally news to me. But since someone said so on RF it must be true.

 

[HerDotness]

I personally believe that it's pretty clear that the point of those passages is that we should be more worried about what's on the inside of ourselves (and others) than outward appearances. Our focus should be on inner beauty. Most theologians have also reached that conclusion.

I mean, after all, the bible tells us "Out of the abundance of the HEART, the mouth speaks." Our inner heart become evident by our outward actions, from dress to what we say.

Hmmmm.

In other words, it's fine to disregard what the Bible says when you'd rather not do it. I get it. You yourself suggest that the heart should be outwardly reflected "from dress to what we say," so I find it curious that it's apparently okay to lay on the bling.

No matter that the Bible says a Christian woman should dress modestly and focus upon inner beauty so as not to put more emphasis on the exterior than the interior.

It's okay, apparently, for a Christian woman to have that elaborately colored hairstyle, engagement rock and diamond-loaded band as long as her focus is upon goodness and humility.

Yeah, that makes perfect sense.

 

[HerDotness]

The fact that he apologized (albeit lamely) later suggests that even he thought it was over the top.

Or that he felt forced to apologize...who knows?

 

[Falvlun]

That's not all he said though. He called it bull **** and then went on to berate and taunt the students who walked out.

Not sure if this has been pointed out already (another 9 or so pages after this quote to catch up on), but he did not call the bible BS. What he was saying is that CHRISTIANS believe other similar parts of the Bible are BS, so why not this one too? The actual quote from his speech states that we can learn to ignore the BS in the bible about gay people, the same way we learned to ignore the BS in the Bible about shellfish, slavery, dinner, farming, menustration, virginity, masturbation.

That's truth. The vast majority of Christians do indeed ignore those parts of the Bible b/c they don't believe it to be relevant or moral or reasonable, aka, they find it to be BS.

I think if people would actually watch the video at the end of that article in the OP they'd be shocked at how tame and relevant the speech actually was. (And how the article, and quotes like yours, Kathryn, rather distort what he was saying, and make it seem much more outrageous than it actually was.)

Here's the link again:
Scroll to bottom for video

 

[MysticSang'ha]

I think it's a mark of the times that a relatively minor issue -- Savage's inappropriate remarks to a few high school students -- drowns out a relatively major issue -- the intolerance (and often enough violence) directed at millions of GBLT people.

Now THIS calls for an "Amen." :yes:

 

[MysticSang'ha]

Savage was probably reacting to this:

[youtube]OGrV4VCx22g[/youtube]
Dunkerton, IA School Assembly Message (portion on homosexuality) - YouTube

And as for Dan Savage being a shock jock? Gee, here I was thinking he was a newspaper columnist.

Hmmmm.....I wonder.....where's the vitriol from apologetics calling him an "idiot" or a "bigot"?

Doesn't matter most of what he preached are lies, misrepresentations, and institutionalized discrimination, does it? I guess what Savage did calling a few teens a name was just SO much worse.

 

[Me Myself]

I think it's a mark of the times that a relatively minor issue -- Savage's inappropriate remarks to a few high school students -- drowns out a relatively major issue -- the intolerance (and often enough violence) directed at millions of GBLT people.

Sadly true u.u