Various Tidbits

Moms' Genetics Might Help Produce Gay Sons. I always feel a bit dubious about the genetics surrounding homosexuality, because I know two sets of identical male twins in which one is gay and the other not. (And it’s not like the straight twin is some kind of raging homophobe who’s just in the closet or something.) Plus, it doesn’t seem to account for a spectrum of sexuality, which includes active bisexuals, or people who identify as gay through choice, even though they are attracted to people of the opposite sex, too. I know there’s a hope held by some people that if homosexuality is definitively proven to have a genetic impetus, then perhaps the homobigots will be less antagonistic toward the LGBT community, but considering that they tend to be the same folks who have a reserve of contempt for science that seemingly knows no depths, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

DNA 'could predict your surname'. Passed on by Mr. Shakes. Hmm, I feel a little torn on this one. It strikes me as creepy on its face, but then again, the researchers suggest the method could help produce 10 suspects in the 25-65 no-suspect murders and 60 suspects in the 300-400 no-suspect rapes in Britain every year, particularly when used in combination with other evidence. Hmm.

Terror fears, stoked by Bush, now bite him. “In the ass” would be the three words left out of that particular headline.

Christian movement moving in. More on the absurd “Christian Exodus” movement. I love this quote from the ding-dong who started this movement (or one of the ding-dongs who’s part of it; it’s not quite clear to whom the quote is attributed):

"We're not an extremist group," he said. "What we are doing is reacting to the extreme marginalization of Christianity in America."

The extreme marginalization of Christianity in America, he says. Bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!! That’s the best joke I’ve heard in ages. Yeah, Christianity is so marginalized in America that we’ve got a Christian president with an almost exclusively Christian cabinet whose biggest supporters are conservative Christians to whom he panders relentlessly, including appointing two openly Christian justices to the Supreme Court, an almost entirely Christian Congress, who starts each day’s session with a prayer, guaranteed freedom of religion, money that says “In God We Trust,” a pledge of allegiance that describes us as “one nation under God,” television networks who will accept advertising from conservative religious groups but not liberal political groups, schools who are incorporating a religious belief into science classes, gays being denied marriage in order to protect its “sanctity,” women denied access to emergency birth control for no legitimate health reasons but because some religious people have a problem with it, Catholic communities being built in Florida, Museums of Creationism springing up, laws still on the books that respect Christians’ holy day (like in Indiana, where you still can’t shop for a car or buy booze on a Sunday), churches not required to pay taxes, and that’s just me getting warmed up, bub.

Pharmacists not being allowed to refuse to fill prescriptions because of their Christian beliefs, or teachers not being allowed to refuse to hang posters because of their Christian beliefs, doesn’t add up to the marginalization of Christianity in America. That’s called doing your fucking job. The only marginalized Christians I see are the ones who don't use their religion as a justification for hate-mongering or oppression of people with whom they don't agree.

Honestly. Once upon a time, martyrs actually had to die for their title. Those were the days, huh?