Speaks for itself. You guys can rant better than I, I’m just providing the material…
Umm. What’s the problem?
SOunds to me like this girl was being treated badly. She saw he guicance counselor and was treated worse, and now because of what she’s been through there’s been some major changes with the school.
Not that it ever should have happened, but isn’t that a happy ending?
Doesn’t really lend itself to a really good, Dennis Miller-level rant. Yeah, the school counselor was a clitnugget for the “accept Jesus into your heart” crap, but that’s par for the course. I find the linked story more uplifting than rantwprthy.
An irate gay student finds self-acceptance and creates change in her school district. Well done, Miss Ransom!
mmmmmmm, lesbians
The girl didn’t acctually accept Jesus, just the moronic counselor tried to get her to. I don’t see anything really rant worthy other than the counselor is a moron who doesn’t understand that Jesus just can’t help everybody with everything. shrug Or maybe you want a rant on the counselor? Better leave that up to somebody who knows more about that than me.
steps back into the shadows
Wow, Hoe. Based on that asinine comment, and on your idiocy in my John Walker thread, you are officially a jerk.
Groan. Good for Tina Ransom.
The counselor should be fired. Now.
But why does everyone assume it has to be an either-or proposition?
Poly, you and I have been over this and over this. Yes, there are gay Christian organizations and gay-friendly churches, but their existence flies directly in the face of explicit Biblical injunctions against homosexual behavior. I do not know of a single denomination that accepts open, practicing gay folks. Sure, some churches will accept members with gay** orientation**, but reject members who engage in gay sex**. That dog won’t hunt.
In addition, it’s the idiotic insistence by simple-minded Bible bashers that a Gospel verse and a quick conversion prayer will expel the predilection for show tunes and exquisite fashion sense out of your garden-variety gay person that repels folks like me.
I am willing to let Christians live and let live, and even wish them well, but the vast majority (saving the good folks here at the SDMB) will not return the favor.
I have seen Christians protesting in front of gay bars and telling gay men to repent or perish, but I have never seen gay men in front of a church handing out IKEA brochures and telling people to repent of wearing polyester.
Many counselors (including counselors in mental health settings) are unable to handle gay/lesbian/transgender issues. This could be a matter of religion, aversion to homosexuality in general, or simply a lack of interest in education on the issues involved. A good counselor will understand his/her inability to deal with these issues, and refer the patient to another source or simply refuse to treat. A bad counselor just makes matters worse when he/she tries to “wing it”.
It is evident that this counselor is a better fit for a priesthood/ministry than being a counselor. It is too easy to tell someone to accept Jesus. It makes me wonder if that was his stock answer to any problem that came into his office… Just accept Jesus and it will be better. Problem with homework… Accept Jesus… Dad beats Mom up every night… Accept Jesus…You’re gay… Accept Jesus.
What bothers me immensely is how Americans are so tolerant of Christians, and how intolerant Christians are of other religions. Had a counselor said “Accept Buddha”, “Accept Allah”, “Accept the Goddess”, etc the counselor would be removed in a heartbeat. Christian groups would rise in an uproar about people being converted by other religions, and force the school board to take immediate action against the counselor. Seeing this case was about Christianity, the whole thing gets handled with a little bit of training and the counselor’s name is notably absent from articles.
I remember coming out to my guidance counslor. Snerk. “Um… are you sure?” “Yes.” “How can you be sure?” “I just am.” “Do you want to talk to the school psychologist about this?”
Sheesh.
Good for her.
um, gobear, unitatians and the society of friends do, at least here in the bay area. im sure theres more, as im sure that your assertion that the ‘vast majority’ of christians do not has some merit.
The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, the Society of Friends (Quakers), the American Baptists within the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, the Community of Christ (Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saints) and the Unitarian Universalist Association (That’s just off the top of my head. There are probably more.)
thats unitarians, sorry folks. jinx, captain amazing!
Would that be giving or recieving?
Dude…there’s an idea-someone should try that! Seriously-that would be fun!
It is to laugh.
Esprix
Whatever, as long as he wears a condom.
*ducks, runs very very fast
The MCC doesn’t count; it’s a gay church. The UUs don’t count; they’re not Christian. I need to see a cite that the Quakers and the Reorganized LDS accept practicing gays. I don’t know about the American Baptists.
Hey! Some of us are! I mean, you know, not me, personally, but, um, we’re based on traditional Judeo-Christian…
Ah, fuck it. 
Esprix
Wait, you ask for a Christian church that accepts gays and then complain because it’s a gay church?
The UU’s are sort of Christian. I don’t want to get into the whole UU, christian or not debate, but they certainly have Christian antecedants, and a number of UUers self identify as Christian.
Here’s the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists. It isn’t the entire American Baptist Convention, but it’s some churches within it, and, as Baptists are congregational and independent, we can see that some at least, accept open gays.
As for the Society of Friends, here’s the homepage of “Friends for Lesbian and Gay Concerns” Of course, like the American Baptists, every Quaker Meeting is autonomous, but the Quakers have generally been pro-gay
In 1982, the RLDS probably could have been considered anti-gay, releasing a document on homosexuality that basically said “hate the sin, love the sinner”. However, since then, there’s been a major change in their attitudes. In 1992, they released a statement decrying all forms of prejudice, including prejudice based on sexual orientation. The statement urged all RLDS to overcome bigotry and bias and respect and love everyone. If you look at the following list of their current Human Rights Committee, you’ll see that one of the committeemembers was a former officer of a Gay and Lesbian RLDS group.
http://www.rlds.org/humanrights/bios.asp
I might also add to my list some members of the United Churches of Christ (there’s currently a debate on the issue). Here’s a pastoral letter from Paul Sherry, former President of the United Church of Christ
http://www.ucc.org/news/record/pastoral.shtml
Finally, here’s a copy of the Madison Declaration, signed in Madison, Wisconsin, by an ecumenical conference of clergy, urging the full acceptance of gays and lesbians in Christian churches.