LGBT Community Not Religious?

I was reading an article that had the headline of how religion isn't important to the LGBT community. I'm shocked. I'm not shocked that this might be true, but I'm shocked that somebody thought this was news. It's pretty obvious.

I scrolled down to the comments and found a good indication of why in the first one I read. Evidently, the LGBT community is all going to hell. Yeah, The Bible said so. Some religious people have no problem telling them so if they stop and talk about religion. Some will tell them whether they want to know or not.

If there's a lack of religion for many within the LGBT crowd, it might have something to do with the fact that they aren't made to feel welcome. Heck, one infamous church is fond of protesting various events and saying the world is bad because God hates gay people.

Recently, a man had the funeral of his husband canceled by the church because they found out he was gay. Then, there's the whole opposition to gay marriage by the church. They say it will ruin the sanctity of marriage. This doesn't even get into the hate that some transgender people receive, or the fact that businesses are fighting to discriminate on the grounds of religious freedom.

This is not news. If it matters to the churches, there is a way to try and win some of them back. They can start by saying the fact that you are gay or trans isn't what will keep you from a happy afterlife. God wants all of us to live lovingly with each other and treat each other with respect. How we do in that endeavor will go a long way towards where we end up when we die.

The hate thrown towards those in the LGBT community by the churches is one reason they aren't flocking to traditional religion. If you want them back, accept that their sexual identity or orientation does not make them bad. It's our deeds on this earth that ultimately matter in the end. Then, it's up to God to judge what's next. It's no wonder some reject religion when they feel rejected themselves.

More on this story: news.yahoo.com/religion-unimportant-most-lgbt-americans-132241382.html

We Should Appreciate The Miracle Of The Reality We Live in

It seems like we are more and more technologically driven as a society. We are walking around with hand held mini computers these days, keeping us occupied while we are out and about. I guess the world around us isn't interesting enough for some of us to observe.

It's a virtual reality. There was a big deal about virtual reality for a while back in the 1990's. Putting on the special goggles and seeing a whole new world. It wasn't perfected enough, but fortunately there were online games like Ultima, Everquest, World of War Craft and others where people could create alternate lives.

I am struck by the idea of The Matrix. In the movie, Neo was trying to free everybody from this false realty, though the world awaiting them on the outside was rather dreary thanks to the effects of war. Still, at least that was reality.

What's funny is that the idea of a fully immersive world within a computer program would be appealing to many people. You can taste, feel and smell and so forth. You could be whoever you wanted to be, or at least a more successful you. Some would jump at the chance.

But, I can think of a few things wrong with that idea. First of all, no mater how it felt, it's not real. I have no doubt that technology will take us to a place where we will have a Matrix or Star Trek Hollodeck. The debate will begin then.

More importantly, are we so unimpressed with the miracle that this world is that we have to invent ways to tune out to it? The fact that we are alive at all to experience this existence is incredible. So many things to behold everyday that are not man made, and some of us don't appreciate it.

We need to be careful with this technology and where it takes us. It's nice to play around, but we should never forget the real and beautiful world around us. We should be working harder to make it a better place, rather than creating ways to avoid it. We are lucky to be here at all.

Some Thoughts About Ton Loc's Hit Song Funky Cold Medina

I was listening to Tone Loc's Funky Cold Medina on the 80's station. If that song was recorded now, he'd get much grief from the transgender community for his description of a transgender woman in one of the verses.

Personally, I think the man who also wrote the hit rap song Wild Thing, was kind of pushing it by rapping about a date rape drug. When you listen to the words, that's what this song is all about. He lures women to his home by drugging their drinks with something that makes them attracted to him.

Then one night, he meets this woman named Sheila. He obviously finds her to be attractive enough to buy her a drink. She is "passable" as a woman in her appearance at this point, and he wants to take her home. So, he buys her a drink and drugs it.

When he gets her home, he goes to work on her. Then, he realizes there was more to Sheila than he thought. She was actually born a man, but in the song he proclaims "Sheila was a man." That's offensive to transgender women. Was she presenting as a man? Her presentation suggests she was transgender and not a transvestite. Needless to say, he kicks her out, proclaiming he, "doesn't mess around with an Oscar Meyer Wiener."

Up until that point, he was ready to treat her like all the other women he'd drugged and brought home with him. Of course, I know this popular 1980's rap song was just trying to have fun, but I found the lyrics to be interesting. He was nominated for a Grammy for that song, and it helped launch him to an acting career.

The White Guy At The Black Lives Matter Rally

It wasn't the smartest move Jim could have made.  He took a trip to Chicago with his brother.  He always wanted to go.  Jim was politically a Republican and a Trump supporter, and he was somebody who hated racism.  He'd seen enough of it growing up.  He was probably guilty of poor comments from time to time, but he never really meant anything by it.

The news was always reporting things about Black Lives Matter, and he was disturbed by the footage he'd seen of police brutality against blacks.  When he started looking online, he discovered that whites were treated the same way by some police officers.  It was bad for blacks, but in his opinion, it was an issue of some police officers taking things too far.

Jim had seen blacks get treated poorly in the south, and he hated it.  He'd watched hard workers get passed over for raises and promotions simply because of the color of their skin, and he once quit a job because of that.  "People are people, " he would say.  "It doesn't matter what color you are.  Most people just want a fair shot in life."

Jim headed to the Black Lives Matter rally.  Maybe it wasn't the best choice he could have made to wear a Make America Great Again ball cap, but he had just seen Donald Trump pledge millions of dollars in support for black businesses in inner cities.  Surely the people would give Trump a break over that, right?

Tyrone noticed Jim walking past him, and he couldn't resist the temptation to say something.  "Yo man, you lost or something?  This ain't no Trump rally."

Jim nervously smiled at him.  "I know.  I just wanted to come out and support yawls rally."

The tall black man with the dread locks laughed.  "Yeah, right.  You're lost.  Better turn around and go back.  My friends might not be as nice to you as I am."

"No really, I came here to support y'all."  Jim looked around and couldn't help but notice the stares.  It looked like he was unwanted here.  "I don't think it's right what's going on with black people and all that."

Tyrone shook his head.  "Man, what the hell do you know about the black struggle?"

"Well, " Jim was starting to feel like it might not have been a good idea to come here.  "I don't know what it's like to be black, but I've seen how y'all been treated where I come from, and I don't like it.  I knew a guy.  He was gonna get a promotion.  He deserved it, but they passed him over for me."

"You better get out of here, " said another black man as he stepped up to Jim.  "We don't need some white boy who got the job a black man deserved coming around here pretending he gives a damn about us."

"For your information, um, " he looked at the the muscular black man.  "What is your name, sir?"

"What's it to you, whitey?"

"Well, I like to know who I'm talking to is all, " he replied as he held out his hand.  "My name's Jim.  Nice to meet you."

Tyrone laughed.  "That's Darrell."

"Oh, " he replied turning back to the man in front of him.  "Anyway, I quit my job that day, Darrell.  I knew James, and he was a good man.  He deserved that promotion.  I don't think it's right when a man don't get a fair chance.  I'm with you brother.  You know, my girlfriend in college was black."

"Shit, " Darrell replied sarcastically.  "You was probably just hitting that, and you dumped her when you got out of college."

Jim shook his head.  "It wasn't like that.  She didn't want to come to Alabama with me."

"Can't blame the girl for that, " Darrell retorted.

"And she thought her family wouldn't accept me if I moved to DC with her, " he added.

Darrell grabbed the hat from Jim's head.  "What's with the hat?  You got a death wish or something?" 

"Trump's trying to help y'all."

"Yeah, help himself you mean, " Tyrone replied.  "Make white America great again."

"No, " Jim shook his head.  "He's pledging money to help black businesses in inner cities.  He wants to see everybody succeed."

Darrell looked at the hat and put it on his head.  "You really believe that shit, don't you whitey?"

"That's one of the reasons I voted for him, " Jim replied proudly.  "He says everybody is gonna get a chance to succeed.  That's how it should be."

Three black men walked over to Jim, who was now surrounded.  One of them shoved him into another one.  "You gonna get it now you racist."

The other man shoved him back, and it was about to escalate.  "Let's kick his ass.  He ain't from around here.  Ain't nobody would give a damn about him."

Darrell and Tyrone broke it up.  "Yo, look guys, he ain't hurting nobody.  Back off."

"You sticking up for this racist piece of shit Tyrone, " one of them asked?

"No man, " he replied.  "He ain't racist.  Ignorant, maybe, but he ain't racist.  Just leave him alone.  Let him come to the rally.  See how he feels about us after that."

The other three backed off and Jim extended his hand to Tyrone.  "Thanks man.  I was about to get a whooping."

Darrell laughed.  "A whooping, hell.  They might not have been able to identify yo ass after they got done with you."

Tyrone shook his hand  "Hey man, if you gonna stick around, you best stay close to us.  You might not make it out of here otherwise."

Jim smiled.  "Thanks man.  You know, you people are alright."

"Man, what the hell do you mean, you people, " said Darrell with an angry scowl on his face?

Tyrone laughed.  "Knock it off Darrell.  Besides, when he goes back to his friends and tells them a couple of black people saved him from an ass whooping, they won't know what to think."

Darrell chuckled.  "You got a point."  He pat Jim on the back.  "Okay, look man, try not to say anything stupid and just listen.  You'll be safer that way."

"Alright, I got it, " he replied as he was looking at an attractive black woman, who winked at him.

"And don't be hitting on our women, " Darrel added.

"I'm sorry, " Jim grinned, "but when I see a beautiful woman, I can't help but be attracted to her."

Tyrone high fived him.  "I heard that."

Where Would The Muppets Be Without Kermit?

I'm gonna indulge the fantasy a little bit here. When I was a child, I used to watch Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street. Kermit The Frog was on Sesame Street sometimes. You know, the late Jim Henson was a genius as far as I'm concerned. The man brought us The Muppet Show.

The great thing about the Muppet Show when Jim was still alive was it had something that appealed to kids and adults. A family could watch that show together and all could find a reason to laugh. It was good clean fun. And even the movies kept that spirit alive.

At the head of the group was Kermit. He was the one with the mission. He believed in them all. They were like one big family, and he was kind of like the father. He watched over them and made sure things stayed together. It was his dream that led to the show.

The hardest part he had to deal with was the different attitudes of his stars. The worst was Miss Piggy, very much a diva with an attitude. She had a thing for Kermit and came on a little strong. I don't think she did it just to get what she wanted.  She really loved him. I think he loved her too, but Kermit was more restrained about it.

On the set, he was all business. He had to be. The Great Gonzo was always moments away from killing himself. He really was fearless or had a death wish. Kermit had to try and reel him in. Gonzo lived for doing crazy stuff to entertain the fans, and he always thought he could pull it off.

Then there was Fozzy Bear. Poor Fozzy. He's got a big heart, but he's really not all that funny. He can be, but he usually isn't. But, Kermit cares for his friend so he puts him out there to let him succeed or fail.

The real problem comes from the two old guys in the balcony, Statler an Waldorf. They're retired with nothing better to do. So, they heckle that poor bear relentlessly. They live for it. I think they knew they could get to him, so they did it on purpose.

Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem Band provided the music, but their wild drummer Animal could be too much to handle sometimes. Kermit had to deal with that as well. Rolf the Dog was quite the piano player, but he never caused Kermit too many problems.

Then, there was Dr. Bunsen Honeydew. Oh, poor Beaker. The good doctor tortured his hapless assistant. I don't think he meant to on purpose. Lets not forget The Swedish Chef. What he had going on in the kitchen could get out of hand sometimes. Kermit had to manage the whole thing with his assistant Scooter. He had to keep all of them happy, and it wasn't always easy.

Sometimes it didn't seem like the other Muppets appreciated all that Kermit did, but he didn't do it for that. He really wanted to put on a show for all of us, and he put together a talented cast for the job. So, what I really want to say is, thank you Kermit for all the laughter you and the Muppets have given us through the years. Good, wholesome family fun. We could use more entertainers like you.