Introduction to "Disable, Defeat and Demolish Homophobic Christianity."
Introduction to "Disable, Defeat and Demolish Homophobic Christianity."
I am going to be publishing my draft copies of the chapter in the newsletter. I have a plan which I think can bring down homophobic Christianity world wide.
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Prelude
My research and writings from 1992 to 2017 helped bring down Confederate monuments everywhere. Now I am moving on to bring down homophobic Christianity.
My university press books are sold by Amazon.
This post will have four sections.
The Introduction to the book.
Idea list. Just a brainstorming list of ideas. I don’t know if it will be comprehensible to others.
A list of possible book titles. If you suggest one, I am assuming you are giving me permission to use it. Please state so affirmatively.
An outline of the book. (This is just a sketch of the book and just to get the ideas in my head into an outline. Likely there will be more, but before doing a book you need to do an outline with a list of your ideas.
I add these additional sections since it might result in some suggestions and also to get people thinking about fighting and defeating homophobic Christianity.
I don’t believe in organizing until we have some type of coherent plan built on some analysis of the problem.
Introduction to the book.
It can be done. We can disable, defeat and demolish homophobic Christianity. One barrier to the defeat of homophobic Christianity is the idea that Christianity is built into the reality of life and always be so, thus we don’t even try. The reality is that Christianity is vulnerable and despite how it might seem very vulnerable. We no longer have to beg for acceptance or tolerance, we can go on the offensive.
The precipitous decline of Christianity in the United States and other parts of the Western world where it hasn’t completely collapsed already is just one factor. Another factor is that much of the public, because of the activities of the Evangelicals, has become very annoyed with Evangelicals, Fundamentalists and other such like Christians and with Christianity in general.
The percentage of Gays who identify as Christians is less than 50% now, and so the possibility of a large faction of the Gay community resistant or in active opposition is less now.
However, the previously mentioned changes, though very important, are only a few of the reasons that going after homophobic Christianity in 2023 is much more possible than it was in 1969 when the Stonewall Riots occurred, the first San Francisco Gay Pride Parade in 1972, or Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978. Milks election was 43 years ago, a couple generations ago.
There have been important major structural changes in society which provide for us a much different situation in which to operate than in 1963, sixty years ago.
Society is much more educated now than it was. In the 1960s there were public campaigns to tell parents that though they were able to get good jobs without a high school diploma, it would be a basic requirement in the future. The beginning of there being a large portion of the working public with college degrees begin with the G.I. Bill passed after World War II and by the 1960s going to college after high school became a common thing. It isn’t just that the public is much more educated now than it was in the 1960s, it is much more common that children today have grandparents who went to college. There are more people in families where education has been multigenerational affecting attitudes towards social questions.
The different populations of the world and the different religions of the world are not isolated from each other as they were. When I was growing up in the 1960s, I might read about Hinduism, but it would be really unlikely I would meet a Hindu person. Even when I went to college, there were just a few students from overseas, but not American Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists. Now we have large populations of Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and others in the United States. Other nations which previously were predominately Christians have large non-Christian populations.
International travel was a new activity in the 1960s and not as wide spread as now. The focus of international vacations was Europe. Now international travel is much more common and people go to non-Western locations such as Thailand or Japan. Business travel is much more common.
Long distance phone calling was very expensive in the 1960s and there was no internet. A live international broadcast was a novelty and poor quality. Now, with the internet, you can watch a movie from a provider anywhere in the world and subtitles are almost always provided. We are on social platforms which are global. Even language barriers are less with Google translate and other software translators.
The world where you existed functionally confined to a national culture which was predominantly to a great degree Christian and in which Christianity would tend to be the reference standard is gone. The society where non-Christians were seen as small exceptions or exotics or the residents of some distant strange foreign land, is now a society which has United States Postal Stamps for Diwali and Eid.
This has result in two very important things which have dislodged Christianity from a position of strength.
First, Christianity has been decentered. It is now just another religion among many religions in the world.
Second, Christianity is no-longer the default state of an individual in our society or in other previously predominately Christian societies.
It no longer has a default of being truth unless rejected, it is now just another religious faith. More than ever, a person can be conscious that perhaps he or she is Christian merely because their parents were.
The world system of imperialism of Christian nations dominating the world is long gone. It was a system which repressed local religions, enabled missionaries, in which missionaries colluded with imperialism, and gave Christianity prestige as the religion with power as if it was favored by God, has been largely gone for three generations now. Instead, there is the historical memory of Christianity being the religion of the former imperial oppressors and having been instruments of imperial repression. In the next decade there won’t be many people left who were alive when Christian nations dominated the world and the world order was a Christian order dominating the imagination.
Instead, we have now a multipolar world now with important world powers that aren’t Christian. There are world powers that can defy Christian public opinion such as India and China. There are advanced nations leading in technology which aren’t Christian such as Taiwan and Japan. In terms of Gross Domestic Product, China and Japan are the 2nd and 3rd largest economies. India is the 7th largest.
There are nations that are very successful without Christianity. Christianity is no longer associated with success or can represent themselves as integral to the progress of civilization.
Christianity is no longer a dominating power of the world or of the imagination. We should not allow them to dominate our imaginations or intimidate us as to what we can do to fight homophobic Christianity.
There are myriad opportunities in which we can disable, defeat and destroy homophobic Christianity.
Ideas, concepts brainstorming list.
Just ideas as the popped into my head.
Fighting Homophobic Christianity
Thoughts, ideas
1. They are vulnerable. They can be brought down.
2. They are a severe world wide problem.
3. We really don’t realize what we lose because of Christians.
4. We haven’t beaten them because we haven’t undertaken serious tactics against them. We have held back.
5. The Gay Christians are a problem. They locate or right to exist within Christian theology and not that we live in a secular state. They preclude the argument that homophobia invalidates Christianity. If your religion is homophobic it is a stupid religion. They tend not to criticize homophobic Christianity. Gay Christians tend to beg.
6. Gay Christians have been assumed to be the solution to homophobic Christianity and that is clearly not working. Gay Catholics grossly over represent their progress.
7. Some of the Christians evade the issues involved with homophobic Christianity.
8. The Gay community isn’t Christian and Gay Christians need to recognize that their religious concerns are not the Gay community’s concerns.
9. Christianity is chronic in its misbehavior. It tends to revert to a form that wants to tyrannize others. It has a long history of violence and persecution. The fraction of Christians who aren’t that way is very small and only recent.
10. It is a weird and psychotic and creepy and violent cult. These aspects need to be pointed out.
11. When Christians cry about persecution in foreign nations and demand action on the basis of civil rights, we need to point out the hypocrisy of their plea for human rights.
12. We need to look for allies. Christians go after other religions and are a danger to them. Gay atheists need to be concerned only about anti-Gay religions.
13. Gays need alternative religions besides Christianity. Not all Gays are going to be atheists and there will always be some Gays who will be religious.
14. We need to call out stealth homophobia.
15. We need to make sure that they don’t get government support. Such as being allowed to give the invocations at City council meetings.
16. We need to have a better and more critically insightful understanding of their behaviors and pathologies. We need to drop the idea that their homophobia is just a simple error in their thinking.
17. We need to stop trying to save them or debate them as if they are discussing issues in good faith. Our goal is to disable them.
18. They are predators of those struggling with life. This needs to be pointed out.
19. Gay Christians tend to defend Christianity from being criticized for homophobia. The “real Christianity” argument is used to shutdown discussions of the systemic problems with Christianity.
20. Gay Christians and Christians in general often block or try to shutdown the systemic problems with Christianity by pointing out Christian groups that are supposedly not anti-Gay. They shutdown discussions of how to defend the Gay community by diverting the discussion to that not all Christians are anti-Gay.
21. Some supposedly not anti-Gay Christian groups actually are. They tolerate Gays and in those groups they are second class members. Often these supposedly accepting groups won’t accept Gay clergy or Gay marriage.
22. Much of what is done now to fight anti-Gay Christians is ineffectual. Showing logical inconsistencies to people who function by emotion is a waste of time. Expose's of scandals has limited usefulness. Religious leaders have been involved in scandals for centuries. The tactics that have been tried for 20 centuries and have failed, are not likely to work in the 21st century unless used differently.
23. We need to use emotional arguments against Christianity. Pointing out how their Christianity originates from the oppressors of their ancestors is good. In particular when it comes from a former colonial oppressors.
24. Warn Gays in places where there aren’t many Christians what a danger they are to Gays.
25. Make homophobia visible. Don’t allow churches, leaders, groups to evade, obscure or hide their homophobic identities. Locally the Dallas Morning News hides the homophobia of groups in stories about them.
26. Don’t allow a homophobe be considered a credible moral voice. For example, liberals like to quote Pope Francis when it supports their cause even though he is the head of the world’s largest anti-Gay organization.
27. Don’t allow token gestures or small concessions or toleration be represented as anymore than what they are. No being grateful for crumbs.
28. Conduct psychological warfare against homophobic Christians. For example, a Christian came out to tell us about how he was formerly an addict and was saved by Jesus. I immediately said, “So Jesus is a sort of duct tape to hold you together.” And, “How did I manage not to be an addict without Jesus.” An effective statement might stick in their mind for months before it disables them.
29. Point out the self-serving, self-indulgent, self-aggrandizing, self-promoting, self-glorifying nature of Christianity.
30. We need to be aggressive. We need not fear people being upset by what we say.
31. Make homophobia visible. The homophobia of individuals, groups, organizations, corporations, needs to always part of their public image. Don’t let them escape it.
32. Hold friends and relatives accountable for being part of a homophobic church. Don’t give them a free pass. Don’t consider their toleration acceptable. No agree to disagree nonsense. Be ready to get personal.
33. It needs to be understood that gushing sentimental thoughts aren’t effective. The homophobic Christians can gush right back.
34. Recognize that homophobic Christians are able to think about tactics and strategy and aren’t mindless opponents. Just because a person disagrees with you or has ludicrous beliefs, doesn’t mean that they can’t think critically about tactics.
35. Understand that Christians thrive on feeling that they are persecuted. Shouting at them, vandalism, etc. strengthens them. Martyrdom has always been a big part of Christianity. They fear being seen as fools.
36. We need to show how Christianity has obliterated past cultures including our own. Also show how the defeat of Christianity resulted in the preservation of cultures.
37. We need to support movements that work against Christianity. For example, de-colonialization movements that are critical of Christianity.
38. We need to avoid arguments which center Christianity in the scheme of things. That is argumentation which makes the debate about accepting them or rejecting them, making them the only alternative to us. We will not create a universe of ideas which is filled with just us and them. We position them in a reality of multiple choices and ideas and with them being just one aberrant choice among many choices.
39. We will always emphasize that Christianity is just one of many speculative ideas about reality
40. We will emphasize their anti-science beliefs. From being against evolution, vaccines, geology.
41. The LGBT establishment has not taken a strong effort against anti-Gay Christianity because it would upset the establishment, such as Democrats who hope to get Christian voters including maybe a few homophobic Christian voters.
Possible book titles
The current working title is Disable, Defeat and Demolish Homophobic Christianity. I need a title representing the spirit of the book to help focus my thoughts. But this choice isn’t the final choice, it is just a working title.
Fighting Homophobic Christianity book titles
1. Fighting Homophobic Christianity.
2. Time to Kick Homophobic Butt.
3. Time to Knock Down Homophobic Christianity.
4. Time to Defeat Homophobic Christianity
5. Time to Smack Down Homophobic Christianity.
6. Crush Homophobic Christianity.
7. Let’s Crush Homophobic Christianity
8. It is Time for Homophobic Christianity to Come to an End
9. Demolish Homophobic Christianity
10. Let’s Defeat and Demolish Homophobic Christianity
11. Time to Annihilate Homophobic Christianity.
12. Time to Teach Homophobic Christians a Lesson.
13. Time to Break Down Homophobic Christianity.
14. Time to Defeat, Crush and Demolish Homophobic Christianity.
15. Time to Defeat, Demolish and Destroy Homophobic Christianity.
16. Time to Throw Homophobic Christianity Into The Garbage Dump
17. Time to Dump Homophobic Christianity Into the Trash.
18. Let’s Defeat, Demolish and Dump Homophobic Christianity Into the Trash.
19. Crush Homophobic Christian Clownery
20. Smash Homophobic Christianity.
21. Smash, Bash and Trash Homophobic Christianity
22. Bash, Bust, and Beat Homophobic Christianity.
23. Time to Eradicate Homophobic Christianity
24. Terminate Homophobic Christianity
25. Time to Terminate Homophobic Christianity
26. Time to Disable, Defeat and Demolish Homophobic Christianity
27. Dismantle and Demolish Homophobic Christianity.
Some of these might be used in a title and subtitle combination such as:
Fighting Homophobic Christianity: Time to Defeat, Demolish and Destroy.
Book Outline as of 12/2/2023
Chapter Outline for Fighting Homophobic Christianity. This is an outline of some notes. I see that Substack doesn’t do outlines. I think you can follow it. Very likely the book won’t follow this outline that closely, but a person needs to put their thoughts in order to write a book, or I need to do so.
1. It can be done. They are vulnerable.
1.1. Rapid decline number of persons who are Christian.
1.2. Demographically skewed to be older.
1.3. Have alienated large segments of the public.
2. Why it needs to be done.
2.1. They are a severe world wide problem for Gays.
2.2. We don’t realize what we lose because of Christians.
2.3. Christianity is chronic in its misbehavior. It tends to revert to a form that wants to tyrannize others. It has a long history of violence and persecution. The fraction of Christians who aren’t that way is very small and only recent.
3. Why we haven’t succeeded so far.
3.1. We haven’t beaten them because we haven’t undertaken serious tactics against them. We have held back.
3.2. Gay Christians which will be discussed.
3.3. Much of what is done now to fight anti-Gay Christians is ineffectual. Showing logical inconsistencies to people who function by emotion is a waste of time. Expose's of scandals has limited usefulness. Religious leaders have been involved in scandals for centuries. The tactics that have been tried for 20 centuries and have failed, are not likely to work in the 21st century unless used differently.
3.4. The LGBT establishment has not taken a strong effort against anti-Gay Christianity because it would upset the establishment, such as Democrats who hope to get Christian voters including maybe a few homophobic Christian voters.
3.5. We have tended to think that Christianity is a permanent feature of life and will be permanent in history.
4. Gay Christians
4.1. The Gay community isn’t Christian and Gay Christians need to recognize that their religious concerns are not the Gay community’s concerns.
4.2. The Gay Christians are a problem. They locate or right to exist within Christian theology and not that we live in a secular state. They preclude the argument that homophobia invalidates Christianity. If your religion is homophobic it is a stupid religion. They tend not to criticize homophobic Christianity. Gay Christians tend to beg.
4.3. Gay Christians tend to defend Christianity from being criticized for homophobia. The “real Christianity” argument is used to shutdown discussions of the systemic problems with Christianity.
4.4. Gay Christians and Christians in general often block or try to shutdown the systemic problems with Christianity by pointing out Christian groups that are supposedly not anti-Gay. They shutdown discussions of how to defend the Gay community by diverting the discussion to that not all Christians are anti-Gay.
4.5. Don’t allow token gestures or small concessions or toleration be represented as anymore than what they are. No being grateful for crumbs.
4.6. Gay Christians have been assumed to be the solution to homophobic Christianity and that is clearly not working. Gay Catholics grossly over represent their progress.
4.7. How Gay Christians fit into a campaign regarding homophobic Christianity is left to them. It isn’t the Gay communities responsibility.
4.8. When Gay Christians undermine the fight against homophobic Christianity they need to face criticism and opposition.
5. Some of the Christians evade the issues involved with homophobic Christianity.
6. Christianity needs to be shown as it is and has been functionally in history.
6.1. It is a weird and psychotic and creepy and violent cult. These aspects need to be pointed out.
6.2. Point out the self-serving, self-indulgent, self-aggrandizing, self-promoting, self-glorifying nature of Christianity.
6.3. They are predators of those struggling with life. This needs to be pointed out.
6.4. We will always emphasize that Christianity is just one of many speculative ideas about reality
6.5. We will emphasize their anti-science beliefs. From being against evolution, vaccines, geology.
7. Need for allies.
7.1. We need to look for allies. Christians go after other religions and are a danger to them. Gay atheists need to be concerned only about anti-Gay religions.
8. Gays need alternative religions besides Christianity. Not all Gays are going to be atheists and there will always be some Gays who will be religious.
9. Going after homophobic Christianity.
9.1. We need to be aggressive. We need not fear people being upset by what we say.
9.2. Tactics and strategies to stop.
9.2.1. We need to drop the idea that their homophobia is just a simple error in their thinking.
9.2.2. We need to stop trying to save them or debate them as if they are discussing issues in good faith. Our goal is to disable them.
9.2.3. We need to stop the arguments used by Gay Christians.
9.2.4. It needs to be understood that gushing sentimental thoughts aren’t effective. The homophobic Christians can gush right back.
9.2.5. Ridicule and denounce the idea that homophobic Christianity isn’t to be challenged because some Gays are scared of conflict.
9.2.6. We need to avoid arguments which center Christianity in the scheme of things. That is argumentation which makes the debate about accepting them or rejecting them, making them the only alternative to us. We will not create a universe of ideas which is filled with just us and them. We position them in a reality of multiple choices and ideas and with them being just one aberrant choice among many choices.
9.3. Make homophobia visible.
9.3.1. Don’t allow churches, leaders, groups to evade, obscure or hide their homophobic identities. Locally the Dallas Morning News hides the homophobia of groups in stories about them. Make sure they are known as homophobic by the general public.
9.3.2. Some supposedly not anti-Gay Christian groups actually are. They tolerate Gays and in those groups they are second class members. Often these supposedly accepting groups won’t accept Gay clergy or Gay marriage.
9.3.3. Make homophobia visible. The homophobia of individuals, groups, organizations, corporations, needs to always part of their public image. Don’t let them escape it.
9.3.4. We need to call out stealth homophobia.
9.4. Psychologically disable them.
9.4.1.
9.4.2. We need to have a better and more critically insightful understanding of their behaviors and pathologies.
9.4.3. Conduct psychological warfare against homophobic Christians. For example, a Christian came out to tell us about how he was formerly an addict and was saved by Jesus. I immediately said, “So Jesus is a sort of duct tape to hold you together.” And, “How did I manage not to be an addict without Jesus.” An effective statement might stick in their mind for months before it disables them.
9.4.4. We need to confront them with the pathologies of their beliefs. How they use it to fill meaningless lives.
9.4.5. We need to use emotional arguments against Christianity where they have to face conflicting emotions about Christianity. Pointing out how their Christianity originates from the oppressors of their ancestors is good. In particular when it comes from a former colonial oppressors.
9.4.5.1. We need to show how Christianity has obliterated past cultures including our own. Also show how the defeat of Christianity resulted in the preservation of cultures.
9.5. Understand the homophobic Christian opposition.
9.5.1. Recognize that homophobic Christians are able to think about tactics and strategy and aren’t mindless opponents. Just because a person disagrees with you or has ludicrous beliefs, doesn’t mean that they can’t think critically about tactics.
9.5.2. Understand that Christians thrive on feeling that they are persecuted. Shouting at them, vandalism, etc. strengthens them. Martyrdom has always been a big part of Christianity. They fear being seen as fools.
9.6. Other tactics.
9.6.1. Don’t allow a homophobe be considered a credible moral voice. For example, liberals like to quote Pope Francis when it supports their cause even though he is the head of the world’s largest anti-Gay organization.
9.6.2. We need to make sure that they don’t get government support. Such as being allowed to give the invocations at City council meetings. This activity legitimized them and normalized homophobia.
9.6.3. When Christians cry about persecution in foreign nations and demand action on the basis of civil rights, we need to point out the hypocrisy of their plea for human rights.
9.6.4. Hold friends and relatives accountable for being part of a homophobic church. Don’t give them a free pass. Don’t consider their toleration acceptable. No agree to disagree nonsense. Be ready to get personal.
10. Non-religious Allies. We need to support movements that work against Christianity but not the Gay community. For example, de-colonialization movements that are critical of Christianity.
11. Mobilize Gays Globally to fight homophobic Christianity.
11.1. Warn Gays in places where there aren’t many Christians what a danger they are to Gays. For example point out what has happened to Gays in South Korea to other Gays in East and South East Asia.
11.1.1. Let Gays around the world know what homophobic programs and ideas the Christian missionaries have in their communities.
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