This may not be the best kept secret on the internet, but I despise Michele (“Let my Husband Cure your Gayness”) Bachmann. Despise is probably too genteel a descriptor for my true feelings. To put it in perspective let’s just say I hate her 100 times more than I hate Nancy (“No Blink”)Pelosi, and Chucky (“Where’s the Camera?”) Schumer. For those of you who may not know, or forgot, I am an Independent and a moderate. Thus, I eschew both of the extremes. But I digress.
The Supreme Court got two decisions right the other day: striking down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) signed into law by Bill (“Lemme Stain Your Dress”) Clinton; and allowing the lower court decision to stand on California’s Prop 8 – the attempt by Mormons, Cat-Hole-Licks, and other assorted nutters to outlaw gay marriage in California. A good day for civil rights.
Quick on the heels of the decision the religionists, understandably apoplectic, took to FOX News, and other right wing media outlets to decry the Court’s rulings. Of particular note was Michele Bachmann’s laughable and totally fallacious religious testimony. According to Mrs. Bachmann:
”….[the Supreme Court] attacked something that they have no jurisdiction over whatsoever, the foundational unit of our society, which is marriage. That is something that God created. That is something that God will define. The Supreme Court, though they may think so, have not risen to the level of God."
Hmmm… God created marriage? What god would that be? It wouldn’t take more than five minutes to research the history of marriage, which goes back to prerecorded history. Evidence indicates that as long as 20,000 years ago the concept of monogamy, a precursor to formal marriage, was formed.
The ancient Hebrews did not have a religious ceremony to bond couples; it was strictly a secular/societal/tribal convention for continuity of the tribal unit. So too was marriage among the American Indians, early Egyptians, ancient Greeks and Romans. Indeed virtually every ancient, pre-Jewish/Christian society had some form of marriage…all of which was a contract for societal, financial, or political reasons. *
The first mention of marriage as a religious rite was late by civilization’s standards. The Hebrew prophet Malachi disdained divorce and said it pisses God off. Period. But again, for societal/legal purposes, as were so many of the early Hebrew edicts. “From the early Christian era (30 to 325 CE), marriage was thought of as primarily a private matter, with no uniform religious or other ceremony being required.” *
Paul in 1Corinthians 7:10-11 (1st century CE) and in Matthew 19:6 (written in the late 1st or early 2nd century CE) mentioned a bond endorsed by god, albeit, there is no documentation of a formal religious marriage ceremony. If marriage is something their Judeo-Christian God created, evidently no one told the Egyptians, Babylonians, Canaanites, Romans, Greeks, Vikings, Mayans, Sioux, Eskimos, Chinese, and thousands of pagan religions and societies.
Bottom line is this: anyone with ½ a brain and the instinct to use it, who isn’t a mind captive to the Christian religious rites that are Johnny Come Lately to the institution of marriage, can discover the roots of marriage; that marriage pre-dated Christian ritual and involvement, and even the Hebrews. That it had no religious root. That it was practiced by pagans, for millennia for sound social reasons. If it was created by a god, then it would have had to have been a pagan one that predates even El, Baal, or Molech.
No, Michele, and Christian nutters in general - your god didn’t define marriage any more than it created the universe. It was and continues to be a secular institution. It changes, evolves, and develops as do so many societal mores and institutions. That’s why the Hebrew’s polygamy is no longer practiced in the West. Or why one doesn’t have to marry their dead brother’s wife. But you are too stupid, too vapid, too religiously afflicted to take the time to do a little research; or prefer not to because it contradicts your delusion.
Now, go … gnash your teeth, cross yourself, handle your prayer beads, invoke a imprecatory prayer against Obama, and get the heck outta the way… societal advancement stops for no mind slave.
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage#History_of_marriage
"The Supreme Court, though they may think so, have not risen to the level of God."
ReplyDeleteConversely and more accurately, Michelle Bachman and Rick Santorum, though they may think so, have not risen to the level of God.
Great post Hump, now Clinton can now take his DOMA and shove it and Bachman can shove it along with the morons. Hey maybe they should have strait therapy for these morons and call it cure your ignorance. As far as Christians reading historical fact well you know that will never happen.
ReplyDeleteIf you do a little research you will see that Marriage, as it is today was created for consensus purposes and taxes.
ReplyDeleteHump, I too am happy that the Supreme Court ruled against the religiously inspired hatred against same-sex couples being able to marry, human rights in our country took another halting step forward however I am dismayed that the neo-confederates of the south were given a green light to implement their program of voter suppression and surprised at the silence of the atheist community at the blatant attack on voting rights, a cornerstone of a democracy. There are state constitutions that prohibit atheist from holding elective office and could in theory prevent one from voting, I guess don't ask don't tell is okay in that instance but if one is black or latino gay marriage is fine but voting, well wait just a minute now! Christians created voting laws and marriage laws in this country with horrible results, its time for a
ReplyDeletesecular solution for rights of all citizens.But this current backward looking congress and their confederates in state governments leaves me with little to hope for future action on this front.
gerard,
ReplyDeleteI too decry the voting rights decision by the court. But not as an atheist, simply as a realist.
And as reasoned individuals we need to support efforts to get congress to do the right thing and replace the "offending" provision that the court ruled against. While I imagine some number of freethinking orgs may rally to that cause, I have to state that atheists have in common...by definition..only one principle: no belief in God or gods.
We may, by virtue of our higher intelligence, and embrace of reality have similar thoughts / perspectives on many social issues... but not all atheists think the same or hold the same political or social perspectives.
Since the ruling was not religiously motivated, it doesn't become a secular vs. non-secular issue. That's why you're not likely to see a united atheist front / rallying cry.
Not only was marriage around LONG before Christians invented a god, but it included gay marriage 2,000 years before such bigotry was invented and criminalised in 342 AD.
ReplyDeleteAt last we are returning to TRADITIONAL marriage - ironically what Christians have been asking for !
I'll be quick. I'm a Christian that has questions about...Did God create/define marriage. I came across your site and thought it might be educational to hear from someone on the "other side". And, honestly, you have certainly given me a LOT to think about. I want the truth about things...not just what I'm told from my pastor. However, I WISH atheist and all non-Christians could be more respectful. You are a mean person. There is NO CALL for it. You seem like a very smart man that could get your message/point across without being so rude. You only come across as a small man with a lot of hate.
ReplyDeleteI am not a christian but am a lover of all things esoteric and spiritual and I feel the same way. I was stopping to comment that this is actually good information that will likely be glossed over because of the immature and hateful tone. I was going to share it on facebook even though it is from an "athiest" website, but the language was too rude and would make me look bad if I posted it. Unfortunate because i feel a lot of people on my friends could benefit from the chance to look at the info.
DeleteDear Unknown,
ReplyDeleteI cannot put into words how pained I am that my article offended your sensibilities.
That it holds some value, and yet is unworthy because of my tell-it-like-it-is style speaks more to your cloistered mindset than to any literary offenses.
The fact you said "... even though it is from an "atheist" website,.." pretty much tells me everything I need to know about you, which is two things: A) you are indeed a Christian and B) you are a liar.
But I have come to expect it from my almost 50 years of exposure to and analysis of religionists. Lying is a veritable sacrament to Christians.
Yours in reason.
Firstly I am a Christian, and I was curious about what marriage was to God, I was actually reading the book of Genesis when I decided to look some things up. Because in Genesis 24: 67 Issac took Rebekuh as his wife, by taking her into the housing of his departed mother. Marriage was not a ceremony, it was vowed made between two people. In the private of there homes. Now marriage is commercialized like everything else. Now to say you Christian marriage was before Christ is to say that God did not create the world. There was no such people as Adam and Eve, and Abarh and sari were just silly little myths. Let's not forget about Noah, Lot, and there families.
ReplyDeleteBut if you are saying that marriage took place before Jesus took on his human form I would say yes. I agree with you 100%.
Even on that note I have no problem saying that some chruches/ government allowed gay marriage before and after Christ birth. Before Christ birth Sodom and Gomorrah would be two such cities. In the Bible, also at the beginning of Gensis, God was displease with what was going on so he flooded the world and then even after flooding the world and starting over, Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed because of the sinning against God. And after Christ birth You have to remember even during his time alive Jesus spoke out against the wrong doings of the church. It is of my opinion because of your bias that you forgot to put your argument in line with the events of bible history ( I refer to it as bible history for those of you who don't believe). Even if you don't believe it it's always good as a researcher to look at things from all possible angles. I am more then happy to work with you to look more into it.