This Image Sums Up The Religious Right and Gay Marriage
Bruce Wilson printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Wed Nov 07, 2012 at 07:14:08 PM EST
Well, it's not a single picture, it's three pictures (scroll down a few paragraphs to view), and each is an animated GIF. Here's the context:

One of the stunning upset victories of the November 6, 2012 election came when Maine and Maryland voters passed ballot initiatives legalizing same-sex marriage. Another ballot initiative legalizing same-sex marriage is expected to pass in the state of Washington. And a ballot initiative in Minnesota that would have banned same-sex marriage was defeated, 52% to 48%. Topping things off, Wisconsin voters elected the first openly gay U.S. Senator, Tammy Baldwin. Compared to the 2008 election, when ballot initiatives banning same-sex marriage passed in California, Florida, and Arizona, it was a stunning reversal.

But the religious right leadership may just be too dug in to accept the newly emerging mainstream consensus: there's nothing wrong with gay marriage. It doesn't threaten straight marriage, Western Civilization is not at risk, God does not send hurricanes, earthquakes, and flocks of locusts to punish those who allegedly shake their fist at the heavens, by allowing consenting adults, two women or two men, to pledge their troth.

And that brings us to the following images. It's simple:

(1) - The cat is "the religious right".
(2) - the box represents "the crusade against the big, scary, threat to the family, society, and everything good and holy, that's allegedly posed by same-sex marriage".

A few notes: of course, the cat didn't have to shove its head into the box. But it was almost inevitable that it would - it was in the nature of the cat. And because of its nature, once caught in the box the cat can't figure out how to extricate itself.

Like the cat, the religious right could extricate itself from the trap of fighting LBGT rights and declare the decades-long political crusade, launched in 1977 under the leadership of charismatic orange juice queen Anita Bryant, to have been a mistake. But that's unlikely to happen.

The evolution of the religious right as a movement has been defined by its opposition to the LGBT rights movement, and it's far from clear the religious right could even exist in its present form without exploiting powerful emotions centered around LGBT rights to mobilize its base.

Entire books have been written about this, such as Perfect Enemies
The Religious Right, the Gay Movement, and the Politics of the 1990s
, By John Gallagher and Chris Bull (link to Washington Post review of book).

But even though the twin movements co-evolved, in a sort of rough symbiosis, the religious right needs the LGBT rights movement - which in turn doesn't need the religious right at all.

The religious right needs to demonize LGBTI citizens who, for their part, would probably be thrilled if the movement that has for decades demonized them simply vanished from the Earth - or, for that matter, just continued to make an absurd spectacle of itself - kicking its hind legs like a cat whose head is caught in an empty cardboard soft drink carton.  




Display:
My own have done similar stunts many times! But, then, they are cats. And cats don't assess consequences very well. People, OTOH, should be doing so. I watched the Romney and Obama watch parties on live streaming, and I was struck by the vast difference. The Romney group was homogenous, the Obama group was a really good cross section of humanity. Either the right opens the tent flaps, or the other tent will take in all those denied entry. (Had to love the Jewish guy with the Obama yarmulke, LOL!)

by phatkhat on Wed Nov 07, 2012 at 07:47:51 PM EST
I like cats, but my S.O. is allergic.

"cats don't assess consequences very well. People, OTOH, should be doing so." -- Yes, they probably should. But they won't, at least for the immediate future.

by Bruce Wilson on Wed Nov 07, 2012 at 08:03:08 PM EST
Parent



That proves it, cats are dumber than dogs.

by Villabolo on Wed Nov 07, 2012 at 09:56:20 PM EST


WWW Talk To Action


You Can Scrub, But You Can't Hide
Dr. Ergun Caner, the disgraced former Dean of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (affiliated with Liberty University, founded by Jerry Falwell), has sicked his lawyer......
By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
A Talk to Action Anthology on Nullification and Secession
Over the past few months a number of posts have addressed the growing movement advocating the nullification of federal laws and even secession of......
By Frederick Clarkson (1 comment)
Thomas E. Woods, Jr. And the Right to Oppress
In the last several posts we have examined an element of the Catholic Right  comprised of neo-Confederate apologists who openly advocate both the state......
By Frank Cocozzelli (10 comments)
Freedom From Foolishness?: Texas Gov. Misconstrues Religious Liberty
Whenever I hear someone - especially a politician - say that the First Amendment protects freedom of religion, not freedom from religion, I just......
By Rob Boston (9 comments)
What is Christian nationalism?
Author Michelle Goldberg one of the early regular contributors to Talk to Action, posted an announcement and preview of her excellent book, Kingdom Coming......
By Michelle Goldberg (45 comments)
Fresh Religious Supremacism from the Rev. Dr. Albert Mohler
The Rev. Dr. Albert Mohler, the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has fired another salvo in the war of attrition that has been......
By Frederick Clarkson (5 comments)
Bench Press: Atheist Group Wins Right To Display Monument In North Florida County
By the end of the month, the courthouse in Bradford County, Fla., will be home to a large granite bench covered with quotes from......
By Rob Boston (8 comments)
How the Catholic Bishops Outsmarted Washington Voters
Across the U.S., religious healthcare corporations, called "healthcare ministries" by the Catholic Church, are absorbing once secular and independent hospitals. In the process they......
By Valerie Tarico (1 comment)
Sen. Lautenberg's Stand Against David Barton - More Than Just a Stand for Church/State Separation
With a career spanning three decades, Sen. Frank Lautenberg will be remembered by many different people for many different reasons. Upon hearing of his......
By Chris Rodda (0 comments)
Thomas Jefferson's Twilight Reminder About Religious Equality
Last year I was honored to write a story for The Islamic Monthly, a magazine operated by American Muslim writers and scholars.  I see......
By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
The NeoCon War Against the Mainline Protestant Churches, Continues
The recent smear of prominent Christian journalist Cynthia Astle by a staffer at the nefarious Institute on Religion and Democracy was a stark reminder......
By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
Refuting Nullification, Part Two
In this series we have been discussing the emerging influence of Thomas E. Woods and other Catholic Right neo-Confederates, who are advocating that states......
By Frank Cocozzelli (2 comments)
How to Respond to a Bully
We are honored to welcome Cynthia B. Astle as a guest front pager. She is project coordinator for United Methodist Insight, where this post......
By CynthiaAstle (1 comment)
Prayer Wars: When It Comes To Religion, The Majority Does Not Rule
As many of you know, the U.S. Supreme Court decided last week that it will hear an appeal of an Americans United case challenging......
By Rob Boston (4 comments)
The Church Child Sex Abuse Scandal Widens and Deepens
In a recent post, I discussed the apparent lack of sufficient seriousness with which the Southern Baptist Convention and the Catholic Bishops still treat......
By Frederick Clarkson (4 comments)

Democrats in Mississippi win big
Despite (or perhaps because of) endorsements made by Gov. Phil Bryant (R) and other Republican state officials, voters in Mississippi elected a surprising number of Democrats in several hard fought mayors races. ......
COinMS (0 comments)
Pat Robertson has a sad over PFAW calling him out
cross-posted at dKos Pat Robertson apparently knows that People for the American Way's Right Wing Watch project has frequently made him a target.  And he doesn't like it.   Yesterday, Robertson led off the......
Christian Dem in NC (0 comments)
Christian Hate For Hire
The Chairwoman of Republican Liberty Caucus of Washington (the Ron Paul formation), is Sandi Brendale, wife of Philip Brendale–a featured speaker at the regional Anti-Indian Conference held in Bellingham on April 6. Sandi Brendale,......
Jay Taber (3 comments)
Mississippi high school forces students to attend Christian lectures: lawsuit
Reposted from Raw Story: A high school in central Mississippi allegedly forced students to watch a Christian video and listen to church officials preach about Jesus Christ. The American Humanist Association's legal center filed......
COinMS (0 comments)
PA Candidate Max Myers Advocates Theocratic Church Governance
I'm working on a story to go with this video, but for now here's just the video. For context, see Rachel Tabachnick's story, NAR Leader Running for Governor in Pennsylvania - As a Democrat......
Bruce Wilson (1 comment)
Former Maranatha Pastor Stars as Thomas Jefferson in Fox and Friends Segment
I wasn't planning on playing Seven Degrees of Maranatha Campus Ministries this evening, but was instead perusing my usual array of news and opinion websites when I found this gem on Talking Points Memo:......
ulyankee (5 comments)
American Family Association launching drive to influence 2014 elections
CBN's David Brody has learned that the American Family Association is greasing the wheels for an effort to influence the 2014 elections.  The American Renewal Project, an AFA-affiliated group that helped push Prop 8......
Christian Dem in NC (2 comments)
Kevin Swanson encourages Christian educators to break law and push religion on kids
cross-posted at dKos Kevin Swanson of Generations Radio was in rare form on his podcast yesterday.  He decried the numerous Supreme Court decisions that have resulted in government-mandated prayer being barred from the public......
Christian Dem in NC (1 comment)
Far-right religious group behind 'Path to 9/11' film continues to infiltrate mainstream media
‘Path to 9/11’ director David Cunningham, who was outed a few years ago as a member of the far-right group Youth with a Mission, has been toiling away on a number of media projects......
unholyalliances (1 comment)
S. 3526: Military Religious Freedom Act of 2012
My senator, Roger Wicker, has introduced the Military Religious Freedom Act of 2012. A couple of things here: 1.) It's very interesting that it bears the exact same name as the Military Religious Freedom......
COinMS (2 comments)
West Point cadet drops out to protest influence of fundamentalist Christianity
Blake Page was a senior at the United States Military Academy, slated to graduate in May.  He was due to be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army, and once he left the......
Christian Dem in NC (2 comments)
Brownback endorses major fundie/dominionist prayer rally on Saturday
Those of you in the Kansas City/Topeka area, be on alert--there's going to be a major invasion of fundie lunacy in Topeka on Saturday.  And it has the endorsement of none other than Kansas'......
Christian Dem in NC (2 comments)
Why is the religious right defending an unrepentant con man who preyed on minority communities?
All indications are that the religious right is rallying to the defense of Jews Offering Alternatives for Healing (JONAH), the "pray away the gay" outfit that is facing a lawsuit from four former clients......
Christian Dem in NC (1 comment)
Mike Bickle's Sexually Charged "Bridal Mysticism" IHOP Teachings
I've been picking through Mike Bickle's teachings on Bridal Mysticism and the Song of Solomon - which Bickle seems to view as allegorical for the end-time relationship of the church (the Bride of Christ)......
Bruce Wilson (19 comments)
Rick Joyner and Bob Jones delude themselves into thinking Obama will help them
Two days ago, I mentioned that Rick Joyner hosted a post-election "webinar" with another NAR leader, Bob Jones.  In it, Joyner and Jones actually laughed about the damage wrought by Hurricane Sandy because......
Christian Dem in NC (3 comments)

More Diaries...




All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective companies. Comments, posts, stories, and all other content are owned by the authors. Everything else © 2005 Talk to Action, LLC.