Monday, February 11, 2008

Brad's Ten Most Controversial

I'm all about conversation. The press and the politicians want us to believe that if we disagree we can't get along, we can't work together for a better world. As my friend Adam and I know, most people think that "doctrinal issues" are a reason for people to not be friends.

But, in order to be a part of the conversation, one must know where they stand, back up that stance with evidence and be able to support it. So here are my top ten controversial stances, political, religious, social and sometimes fun views that I hold close to my heart. So, here we go.

10. I truly believe that our nation is run EXACTLY how the X-Files said it was-a bunch of old, rich, powerful white guys, sitting around in a smoke-filled room behind closed doors making decisions for the rest of us.

9. Marijuana should have the same laws and regulations as cigarettes and alcohol. Cigarettes kill 1200 people a day. Alcoholism destoys lives and familes. And I've never met an unpleasant, hard-to-get-along-with or seriously troubled pot smoker.

8. If you still think George W. Bush was a "good" president, it's probably going to be hard for us to be friends.

7. If you drive a full-size pickup truck, there's a 60% chance that you're a jerk. Your jerkness is proportional to the size of tires, the amount and content of bumper stickers, the height of your lift and the relation of your truck to the actual work you do.

6. Hunting and conservation/environmentalism have NOTHING to do with each other.

5. Violence is bad, wrong and evil in every case-war, domestic violence, capital punishment, self-defense. All bad. "If someone strikes you on the cheek, turn to him the other."

4. Hand guns should be absolutely illegal for anyone but law enforcement.

3. It is REDICULOUS to think that evolution is still a theory. I can't believe we had presidential candidates who didn't believe in evolution. Isn't there an educational requirement to become the leader of the free world?

2. Driving a luxury car-a car over $50,000-is incompatable with Christian teaching.

1. There is no scriptural, reasonable, traditional or experiential reason that homosexual people should not be allowed, nay encouraged, to be married or ordained as pastor. The kind of homosexual activity in the Bible is more like To Catch a Predator than Will and Grace.

Bonus stance: Oprah is bad for America.

Let the conversation begin, BB

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Will the real BB please come back. You sure went out on a limb there. I expected something more radical than Bush sucks, guns are bad, and monster truck drivers are usually jerks. Is this the new Brad. I cant believe that you will get many people to disagree with this Big 11. How about a walmart smash to make it an even dozen. Maybe I have been around you for too long and now I am thinking like you; I do not know who that should scare more, you or me.
Peace

Adam said...

BB,

(in Dwight voice) QUESTION. Am I aforementioned Adam? Or is that a silly question since it was "Adam" and not "Mustoe"?

(once again in Dwight voice) FACT. You can't stand it when fundy's quote a verse and then pronounce it as indisputable absolute truth- but you do it with the words of Jesus. So how about this one:
Matthew 19: 4-6 "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,'and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

So, you don't think that at least might give some people a "reasonable" objection to two men or two women? I don't even really want to get into that issue, what I find provocative is your use of the same sort of reasoning that you can't stand. Is it really that simple? That there is: "no scriptural, reasonable, traditional or experiential reason" for someone to have differing views than yours?

Mark said...

Well said ron, I agree. Brad, the word controversial should possibly be in quotes. Very few things that you said in this post were controversial, or maybe just not to me. I guess honestly controversial is a relative term, so maybe this post will shock someone.

Oh, and thank you for the Oprah comment that was needed to be said.

Brad said...

Mustoe, what I love is people saying, "I don't really want to get into this issue." and then go into the issue anyway.

Your verse says lots of wonderful things about the marriage between a man and woman. It does not say, in my interpretation, this is how marriage is defined. It does not say, as Leveticus does, that a man shouldn't lie with another man. And NOWHERE in the bible is lesbianism mentioned.

Thanks for the conversation.

Brad said...

ps: I actually didn't use the words of Jesus in my arguments except for the violence one.

Kelly said...

What I was trying to address was not the actual issue of homosexuality itself, but your rather staunch treatment of it as an issue without possibility for dissent from your opinion.

I realize you didn't use Jesus words in the homosexual issue, all I was trying to suggest was that for some people there IS a scriptural, reasonable, traditional or experiential reason" for viewing homosexuality as sinful.

I'm fine disagreeing over issues, all I'm trying to say is as much as you bag on the fundys, you sure use similar methods!

Kelly said...

um, sorry, my sister's google profile was logged in, and I didn't notice...

so that was defiantely Adam talking, not Kelly, sorry!