TonioTimeDaily

"In support of feminism

I am a feminist. However, I feel that I need to qualify this by saying that I support sex-positive feminism and I oppose radical feminism.

Feminism is one of the most righteous and successful social movements in history. In its century and a half of existence

That women should enjoy equal rights to men is a no-brainer. It derives from the most basic principles of justice. It is also clear that men stand to benefit from that equality. We all stand to gain from the triumph of feminism.

The fight for equality is not over. Much remains to be done, particularly in the developing world. Still, recognizing past successes gives us hope that complete equality is achievable and that we will get there sooner rather than later.

All that needed to be said because this article is about the dark side of feminism. Nothing of what I will say here should be construed to deny that achieving equality is a worthy and important goal. However, like in any other human enterprise, mistakes are made. People, even with good intentions, hijack good social movements to further nasty goals.

The 70s was an interesting decade, often forgotten in comparison with the enormous energy and the earth-shattering social changes of the 60s. A lot of those changes were deepened, cleaned, and consolidated in the 70s. However, the love and positivity of the 60s turned to anger and negativity in the 70s. That’s what happened to feminism.

Some feminists decided that it was necessary to push back against the sexual liberation of the 60s. At that time, contraceptives had become publicly available, freeing women from the fear of getting pregnant. Now they could have sex for fun, just like men had been doing. These academic feminists cautioned that sexual liberation was an evil in disguise. It hid the fact that women were being exploited by men. This was especially clear in three evil things: pornography, sadomasochism, and prostitution.

Because it initially targeted pornography, this form of feminism was labeled anti-pornography feminism. More recently, people who embrace this ideology have chosen the label of Radical Feminism. Never mind that they have often allied themselves with repressive forms of conservativism and religious intolerance. Although radical feminism does not always overlap with anti-porn feminism, that’s the label that I will use in this article."

"A humanist celebrant plays a role similar to that of a traditional clergyperson with one difference: humanist ceremonies express our positive, nontheistic philosophy of humanism instead of traditional faith. Humanist celebrants conduct humanist, nonreligious, and interreligious weddings, commitment/same-sex unions, memorials, baby namings, and other life cycle ceremonies. Celebrants are generally recognized in all states and many countries, being accorded the same rights and privileges granted by law to priests, ministers, and rabbis of traditional theistic religions.

The Humanist Society offers several different endorsement options for humanist celebrants, chaplains, lay leaders, and secular invocators. The AHA Center for Education provides on-site and online celebrant training.

Learn more about our wide array of endorsement levels here.

Humanist Chaplains represents humanist values and principles in secular institutions such as a hospital, nursing home, prison, military unit, school, police department, university and/or humanist community. This is intended for those working as chaplains and will not be given or renewed for those not intending to work in an institutional setting and will not be renewed for those who have not had significant institutional work during the endorsement period.

Chaplains are distinguished from Celebrants in their responsibility and authority to work with non-humanists as well as humanists. This position is distinguished by a professional chaplain’s covenant to serve all and exploit none.

Endorsement by the Humanist Society does not entitle a humanist chaplain to a paid chaplain position at an institution.  Any given institute may require volunteers or paid staff to have professional certifications, whether related to chaplaincy, counseling or other credentials. The society endorsement affirms 1) the individual can authentically represent humanism and 2) the individual is ready to serve according to professional standards within and outside the humanist community.

The Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc. (BCCI), an affiliate of the Association for Professional Chaplains (APC), sets their own standards for certification.  APC recognizes the Humanist Society as an endorser of chaplains.  Employers may require specific professional certifications for individuals to function as a chaplain within their institution.  Click here for more information on the standards set by the BCCI."

My questions: "Why does God need a middle person instead of directly speaking to the sources that God should speak to? Is God saying certain things or humans saying what they feel and attributing their sayings to God?" 

Every word in this article describes my religious views: "https://brucegerencser.net/why-i-hate-jesus/   

"I don’t hate the flesh and blood Jesus who walked the dusty roads of Palestine, nor do I hate the Jesus found in the pages of the Bible. These Jesuses are relics of the past. I’ll leave it to historians to argue and debate whether these Jesuses were real or fiction. Over the centuries, Christians have created many Jesuses in their own image. This is the essence of Christianity, an ever-evolving religion bearing little resemblance to what it was even a century ago.

The Jesus I hate is the modern, Western Jesus, the American Jesus, the Jesus who has been a part of my life for almost fifty-eight years. The Jesuses of bygone eras have no power to harm me, but the modern Jesus – the Jesus of the three hundred thousand Christian churches that populate every community in America – he has the power to affect my life, hurt my family, and destroy my country.  And I, with a vengeance, hate him.

This Jesus drives fancy cars, has palaces and cathedrals, and followers who spare no expense to make his house the best mansion in town. This Jesus loves Rolexes, Lear jets, and expensive suits. This Jesus sees the multitude and turns his back on them, only concerned with those who say and believe “the right things.” It is this Jesus I hate.

This Jesus owns condominiums constructed just for those who believe in him. When they die, he gives them the keys. But, for the rest of humanity, billions of people, this Jesus says no keys for you. I have a special Hitler-like plan for you. To the ovens you go, only unlike the Jews, I plan to give you a special body that allows me to torture you with fire and brimstone forever. It is this Jesus I hate.

It is this Jesus who looks at Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Atheists, Agnostics, Deists, Universalists, Secularists, Humanists, and Skeptics, and says to them before you were born I made sure you could never be in the group that gets the condominiums when they die. This Jesus says, and it is your fault, sinner man. It is this Jesus who made sure billions of people were born into cultures that worshiped other Gods. It is this Jesus who then says it is their fault they were born at the wrong place, at the wrong time. Too bad, this Jesus says, burn forever in the Lake of Fire. It is this Jesus I hate.

This Jesus divides families, friends, communities, and nations. This Jesus is the means to an end. This Jesus is all about money, power and control. This Jesus subjugates women, tells widows it’s their fault, and ignores the cry of orphans. Everywhere one looks, this Jesus hurts, afflicts, and kills those we love. It is this Jesus I hate. What I can’t understand is why anyone loves this Jesus? Like a clown on a parade route, he throws a few candies towards those who worship him, promising them that a huge pile of candy awaits them when they die. He lets his followers hunger, thirst, and die, yet he tells them it is for their good, that he loves them and has a wonderful plan for their life. This Jesus is all talk, promising the moon and delivering a piece of gravel. Why can’t his followers see this?

Fear me, he tells his followers. I have the keys to life and death. I have the power to make you happy and I have the power to destroy your life. I have the power to take your children, health, and livelihood. I can do these things because I am the biggest, baddest Jesus ever. Fear me and oppress women, immigrants, orphans, homosexuals, and atheists. Refuse my demand and I will rain my judgment down upon your head. But, know that I love you and only want is best for you and yours. It is this Jesus I hate.  This Jesus is pro-life. Yet, this same Jesus supports the incarceration of poor young men of color, often for no other crime than trying to survive." 

"Working definitions

These working definitions were elaborated as a result of a WHO-convened international technical consultation on sexual health in January 2002, and subsequently revised by a group of experts from different parts of the world.

They are presented here as a contribution to on-going discussions about sexual health, but do not represent an official WHO position, and should not be used or quoted as WHO definitions.

Sex

Sex refers to the biological characteristics that define humans as female or male. While these sets of biological characteristics are not mutually exclusive, as there are individuals who possess both, they tend to differentiate humans as males and females. In general use in many languages, the term sex is often used to mean “sexual activity”, but for technical purposes in the context of sexuality and sexual health discussions, the above definition is preferred.

Sexuality

Sexuality is a central aspect of being human throughout life and encompasses sex, gender identities and roles, sexual orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intimacy and reproduction. Sexuality is experienced and expressed in thoughts, fantasies, desires, beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviours, practices, roles and relationships. While sexuality can include all of these dimensions, not all of them are always experienced or expressed. Sexuality is influenced by the interaction of biological, psychological, social, economic, political, cultural, ethical, legal, historical, religious and spiritual factors.

Sexual health

Sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality; it is not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity. Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence. For sexual health to be attained and maintained, the sexual rights of all persons must be respected, protected and fulfilled.

Sexual rights

Sexual rights embrace human rights that are already recognized in national laws, international human rights documents and other consensus statements. They include the right of all persons, free of coercion, discrimination and violence, to:

the highest attainable standard of sexual health, including access to sexual and reproductive health care services;

seek, receive and impart information related to sexuality;

sexuality education;

respect for bodily integrity;

choose their partner;

decide to be sexually active or not;

consensual sexual relations;

consensual marriage;

decide whether or not, and when, to have children; and

pursue a satisfying, safe and pleasurable sexual life.

The responsible exercise of human rights requires that all persons respect the rights of others.

These definitions do not represent an official WHO position, and should not be used or quoted as WHO definitions."

Link: "https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/gender_rights/sexual_health/en/"

"Are there UU ministers who have entered the ministry from a non-Christian background? Yes. They come from Christian denominations, Judaism and other faiths. While no statistics are available on the religious and philosophical backgrounds of our ministers, most have come from the Christian tradition. What role does the minister play? Like leaders in other religions, the minister is a teacher, guide, preacher, counselor and administrator. The minister is expected to speak the truth as he or she has come to know it, and to share that with the congregation with the understanding that members are to make up their own minds on the subject at hand. Do ministers of different churches espouse different beliefs? Yes, freedom of belief extends to our ministers as it does to each member. Beyond his individual beliefs, however, the minister provides as best he can, an open and accepting attitude for persons with beliefs different than his. Can a woman be a minister in the UU church? Yes. As a matter of fact, the Universalist Church of America was the first religion to sanction a woman minister, Olympia Brown who was ordained in 1863."

"However, casual sex — as long as it is consensual and not exploitative — is not unethical because people are using each other. It is just another transactional activity: I enjoy your body while you enjoy mine. I get pleasure and you get pleasure. Even in the most impersonal casual sex, there is an implicit recognition that we are dealing with a person, with desires and sexual needs that need to be satisfied. We are not using a person disregarding their humanity, like corporations do when they treat us as machines. The fact that pleasure is an emotion prevents us from seeing each other as objects.

Which takes us to the second objection.

A second argument against casual sex is based on the idea that sex is somehow special or sacred, so it is only allowed in the context of love or a relationship.

Prudish philosophers like Kant and social conservatives do not seem to be bothered when capitalism and corporations use human beings — workers and consumers — as means to an end — making money —while ignoring that humans are ends in themselves. But when it comes to sex, things suddenly change and the accusations fly about being used and objectified.

One old argument is that sex should be used only for procreation. As I explained in my article The Seven Enigmas of Sex, that idea has been largely put to rest by science. In humans, sex has been co-opted as a powerful mechanism for bonding and to create cooperation and trust between couples and perhaps even amongst entire tribes. Most of the sex we have is not for procreation, and that is completely morally acceptable. Even the Catholic Church is having to reckon with the fact that even the most pious couples have sex that is not procreative.

But then, if sex is for bonding, wouldn’t this support the idea that sex is only ethical when done by a loving couple? Isn’t it true that sex is a most intimate act? There certainly seems to be something special about sex. Otherwise, rape wouldn’t be considered such a horrible crime — it would just be similar to any other act of physical violence. If sex is indeed special, it might be that is too intimate to be casual. We may violate something inside ourselves when we do not recognize its emotional importance.

I examined the problem of the specialness of sex in my article Is Sex Sacred? I pointed out that if sex is sacred, then masturbation would also be unethical.

Let me give you an example of something that is both transactional and intimate: psychotherapy. Indeed, it is even more intimate than sex, since we reveal to the therapist our deepest emotions, traumas and fears. In fact, intimacy is the whole point of therapy. In addition, the client is using the therapist for his own personal benefit. He will dispose of the therapist the moment he sees that his goal of improving his mental health is not being achieved. Again, the fact that it is transactional is an important part of going into therapy. The therapist is a professional committed not to reveal our secrets, and who doesn’t have the biases and the personal investment of a friend in whom we would confide instead. If psychotherapy is not wrong, even though it is intimate and the therapist is being used as a means to a goal, how could we condemn casual sex on the same grounds?

This should get rid of the objection that casual sex is unethical because is too intimate."

PLEASURABLE SEX IS A HUMAN RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!

"AFFIRMS that: Sexual pleasure is the physical and/or psychological satisfaction and enjoyment derived from shared or solitary erotic experiences, including thoughts, fantasies, dreams, emotions, and feelings. Self-determination, consent, safety, privacy, confidence and the ability to communicate and negotiate sexual relations are key enabling factors for pleasure to contribute to sexual health and well-being. Sexual pleasure should be exercised within the context of sexual rights, particularly the rights to equality and nondiscrimination, autonomy and bodily integrity, the right to the highest attainable standard of health and freedom of expression. The experiences of human sexual pleasure are diverse and sexual rights ensure that pleasure is a positive experience for all concerned and not obtained by violating other people’s human rights and well-being.

DECLARES that: 1. The possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences free of discrimination, coercion, and violence is a fundamental part of sexual health and well-being for all; 2. Access to sources of sexual pleasure is part of human experience and subjective well-being; 3. Sexual pleasure is a fundamental part of sexual rights as a matter of human rights; 4. Sexual pleasure includes the possibility of diverse sexual experiences; 5. Sexual pleasure shall be integrated into education, health promotion and service delivery, research and advocacy in all parts of the world; 6. The programmatic inclusion of sexual pleasure to meet individuals’ needs, aspirations, and realities ultimately contributes to global health and sustainable development and it should require comprehensive, immediate and sustainable action.

URGES all governments, international intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, health and education authorities, the media, private sector actors, and society at large, and particularly, all member organizations of the World Association for Sexual Health to: A. Promote sexual pleasure in law and policy as a fundamental part of sexual health and well-being, grounded in the principles of sexual rights as human rights, including self-determination, non-discrimination, privacy, bodily integrity, and equality; B. Ensure that comprehensive sexuality education addresses sexual pleasure in an inclusive, evidence-informed and rights-based manner tailored to people’s diverse capacities and needs across the life span, in order to allow experiences of informed, self-determined, respectful, and safe sexual pleasure; C. Guarantee that sexual pleasure is integral to sexual health care services provision, and that sexual health services are accessible, affordable, acceptable, and free from stigma, discrimination, and prosecution; D. Enhance the development of rights-based, evidence-informed knowledge of the benefits of sexual pleasure as part of well-being, including rights-based funding resources, research methodologies, and dissemination of knowledge to address the role of sexual pleasure in individual and public health; E. Reaffirm the global, national, community, interpersonal, and individual commitments to recognition of the diversity in sexual pleasure experiences respecting human rights of all people and supported by consistent, evidence-informed policy and practices, interpersonal behavior, and collective action."

https://worldsexualhealth.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/WAS-DECLARATION-ON-SEXUAL-PLEASURE-2021-.pdf  (I fully approve)

"4. Sex is a human right. Being able to safely and freely experience sexuality is a facet of basic human functioning. Sexual violence takes away this sense of safety, and affects many aspects of a person’s overall well-being. However, it is important to remember that not having sex is an important part of a person’s right to safe sexuality and self-determination. Asexual individuals may feel romantic love and develop intimate relationships without a desire to engage in sex – this is a valid sexual orientation like any other. When working with asexual survivors, it is important to not assume their identity is the result of trauma. These assumptions often emerge from limiting views about gender and sexuality. Let survivors narrate their own story and do not make assumptions. Remember, “sex” includes an incredibly wide variety of behaviors far beyond heterosexual intercourse, including: self-love, erotic breath work, touch, physical intimacy without penetration and so much more. Finally, as Audre Lorde and Aurora Levins-Morales point out, whether we participate in “sex” in any “conventional” sense is not really important. What matters is that we do not lose our internal sense of the erotic aliveness of our bodies and the world around us. When we awaken our souls and bodies to pleasure, the choice to have or not have sex or engage in sexuality is not the result of trauma, but rather, our own agency, self-knowledge, and desire."

"Fantasies are images or scenes that produce enjoyable feelings - they can range from brief thoughts or images to stories with detailed plotlines. They may deal with actual past experiences, purely imagined experiences, or a mixture of both. They can be non-sexual – e.g. fantasising about becoming a millionaire or being a world-famous rock star, and they can be sexual – fantasising about kissing your favourite celebrity, about having sex with a colleague or a friend, and so on. Some people fantasise during sex about being out-of-control or being forced to have sex against their will. There are many theories as to why people have rape fantasies and it is an area that is still very much taboo and hushhush in society. Some people believe that having a rape fantasy means that the person fantasising wants to be raped, some people believe that fantasising about rape means you are masochistic, some people believe that a rape survivor should not find fantasising about rape sexually arousing. Many survivors working through their sexual healing who have rape fantasies experience a lot of shame and confusion – they may feel disgusted with themselves for having a rape fantasy, they may feel that enjoying fantasising about rape invalidates the trauma that they went through, they may question if they actually wanted to be raped and so on. This article will discuss some of the main questions about rape fantasies that a survivor of sexual violence may have and hopefully assist in helping the survivor to understand their fantasies without shame and judgment. Remember of course that human sexuality is highly individual and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to understanding why we fantasise about the things we do - it is unlikely that all people have rape fantasies for the same reason."

"THEY'RE QUIETLY RACIST

To their supporters, one of the major benefits of megachurches is their diversity. Because they are designed to welcome newcomers and have such large congregations, they often have or openly support multiracial congregations. And as reported by The New York Times, many Black churchgoers sought out these megachurches out of a sense of duty—to be missionaries of a newly integrated worship experience. But as noted by the Daily Beast, many of these parishioners are leaving these megachurches as they exhibit increasingly explicit conservative politics.

Read More: https://www.grunge.com/596092/the-dark-side-of-megachurches/?utm_campaign=clip

Now many Black members of megachurch congregations have begun to leave them. For some, the way evangelical churches supported Donald Trump in the 2016 election and beyond was untenable. But for many, the racism they experienced went back much further. According to Baptist News Global, 27 percent of Black practicing Christians felt pressure to give up their racial identity in order to fit in, and 28 percent found it difficult to build relationships and fit in.

This is exacerbated by the fact that megachurch leadership is overwhelmingly white. As a result, even when Blacks and other minorities are invited to join and participate in a megachurch, they are usually expected to "code switch" and change their clothing and behavior to conform. The irony is that as more Black parishioners leave, the megachurches become increasingly white.

Read More: https://www.grunge.com/596092/the-dark-side-of-megachurches/?utm_campaign=clip

Link: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTfKpAWkgJY"

MEGACHURCHES SPREAD THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL

When you think of megachurches, chances are you think of a slick, smiling pastor standing in front of a huge crowd, probably wearing a really nice suit. And that pastor probably travels around in a private plane and lives in a mansion, because many megachurches are associated with what's known as the "prosperity gospel." As explained by Vox, the prosperity gospel is a concept that boils down to a belief that God rewards faith with material success—in other words, if you pray hard enough, God will make you rich. If that seems a little counter to traditional Christian concepts, you would be correct—it excuses any societal inequalities and puts the blame for being poor on you, personally. The implication is that if you're suffering, you don't have enough faith.

As Vox also explains, it provides cover for greedy pastors. Guys like Joel Osteen, pastor of the megachurch Lakewood Church and worth about $50 million, don't have to hide the money they get from the church because their wealth is simply a sign of their holiness and faith. In fact, some have speculated that the subprime housing crisis of 2008 was in part caused by prosperity gospel-believing people who took on mortgages they couldn't afford because they reasoned God was rewarding their faith. And it's not unique to the U.S.: As Reuters notes, the wealth of megachurch pastors in Africa has been controversial for years now.

Read More: https://www.grunge.com/596092/the-dark-side-of-megachurches/?utm_campaign=clip