Disqus - Friends of tomjohnson

Re: Graveyard of the Gods

Saara Wintersgill — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 15:55:17 -0000

The idea was that we would show how these religions used to be massive and now are not. We saw a lot of lightbulbs go off when we told students how many followers there used to be and how many there are now. It was probably one of the most effective points we had.

Re: Graveyard of the Gods

Saara Wintersgill — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 15:56:53 -0000

We explained how Krishna is essentially just known as Vishnu. I know a lot of Hindus who know Vishnu but not Krishna.

Re: Graveyard of the Gods

Saara Wintersgill — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 15:59:36 -0000

We had a pagan visitor to the table and he was actually very interested in it. The point wasn't to offend, it was to educate, and we were happy to find that most of the people that came to the table understood that.

Re: Graveyard of the Gods

Saara Wintersgill — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 16:05:40 -0000

We discussed this when we were coming up with names to put on the stones. In Sumerian texts, there is a "Garden of Eden" story in which Enki (as a serpent) went to the humans and offered them knowledge and power. Later, the same story with some twists appeared in Xtian text -- that is where we got the basis for him being Satan, among other comparisons we researched.

Re: Graveyard of the Gods

Saara Wintersgill — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 18:19:58 -0000

When we were setting up the event we added Zoroastrianism to show students how large the following used to be and how small it is now. It surprised many of the Christians and got them to think. As for Krishna, we based off the fact he is hardly worshipped anymore by a lot of Hindus and is greater known as Vishnu nowadays.

Re: Graveyard of the Gods

Saara Wintersgill — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 18:23:04 -0000

We used Krishna because most Hindus know him as Vishnu now. We highlighted the fact that gods evolve into other personas. There was a movement in the seventies to bring back Krishna but he's still not as widely known as he once was.

Re: College Atheists Place ‘God Graveyard’ on Campus: 200 Tombstones of Gods We No Longer Worship

Saara Wintersgill — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 13:19:19 -0000

I organized the Skeptics event. We used Krishna while knowing he is still worshipped, but when there were inquiries about it we showed students how the current number of followers is much less than it used to be. The sentiment was well understood after explanation.

Re: College Atheists Place ‘God Graveyard’ on Campus: 200 Tombstones of Gods We No Longer Worship

Saara Wintersgill — Sun, 03 Nov 2013 13:21:06 -0000

I talked to three Hindu students and they didn't have a problem with it; one nonpracticing student said that his family focused on Vishnu, never gave much thought to Krishna and that it depended on which gods certain Hindus regarded. We are aware that Krishna fell out of mainstream Hinduism and was later revived.

Re: On Second Thought, Watauga Schools Will Take ‘In God We Trust’ Posters After All — As a Tool to Teach History

Saara Wintersgill — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 14:08:16 -0000

It's legal to use biblical passages in the public school classroom for literary studies... Though I wouldn't say it holds much literary credit.

Re: If Eminem Were Atheist, He’d Sound Like This

Saara Wintersgill — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 23:45:31 -0000

I think I like Eminem a whole lot better.

Re: Tennessee Newspaper Op-Ed Piece Says Sexual Liberation Leads to ‘Abortion, Broken Homes, and Men’s Contempt’

Saara Wintersgill — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 16:14:33 -0000

I'm disgusted at his first paragraph -- virginity tests are not accurate, and he seems to think they are. The vaginal corona can be stretched without a female having had sex. (Also, the term "hymen" has now fallen out of favor with medical professionals because it suggests that it's an actual body part... it's just the opening to the vagina.)
His ignorance and obsession with women's sex lives is disgusting. Someone send him a one-way ticket out of the Stone Age and tell him to leave his ideals there.

Re: Candidate for Apopka City Commission: ‘My Opponent is Not a Christian’

Saara Wintersgill — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 21:36:49 -0000

I recommend everyone report this post on Facebook. Through the report option, you can send her a message telling her why it is inappropriate.

Re: Step 319: No matter how much you love someone, your time together is limited. Make the most of it.

Saara Wintersgill — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 22:31:48 -0000

This is adorable. She certainly made a place for herself to live on in your memories and traditions. She sounds like she lived a rich, passion-filled life.

Re: A School-Sponsored Military Memorial Retreat Featured a Christian Prayer and Skeptics Are Pushing Back

Saara Wintersgill — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 12:10:57 -0000

Forgive me for this terrible indiscretion and blatant disregard of the holiness that is horizontal videography. I can only hope that the goat I'm about to sacrifice is penance enough.

Re: A School-Sponsored Military Memorial Retreat Featured a Christian Prayer and Skeptics Are Pushing Back

Saara Wintersgill — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 12:12:17 -0000

Here's another sectarian prayer I filmed on campus: https://www.youtube.com/wat...

Oh. And it's horizontal this time :P

Re: What Did We Learn from CNN’s Special Report on Atheism?

Saara Wintersgill — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 00:36:46 -0000

You should come to one of our Skeptics meetings at UNG! We would be very glad to have guests.

Re: The memory and meaning of Matthew Shepard, 16 years later

Sabrina Daphne Catlin — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 21:37:47 -0000

I can see where its help the LGBs a ton, but the T's today have as much , if not more hate directed at them. we MUST stop the violence for all submarginalized groups. Trans folk are people who need love and respect as much as anyone else.

Re: DMV again settles with a transgender woman assaulted by an employee in the Bay Area

Sabrina Daphne Catlin — Sat, 13 Jun 2015 21:36:52 -0000

I live in North Carolina. My change of id was almost a nonevent. The Government person ws clearly not happy to assist me, but she had regulations to follow, and to the letter she did. I'll take this as a win. With the SB-2 bill veto override passing here this week, our rights are being eroded daily. We clearly need a strong legal organization to represent us in this state too. ACLU is good, but they need help here. I have been on a panel with our local EEOC agents, so I know what they can do for us, but that does not help us outside of work where I experience the most problems. Charlotte for the most part is friendly to indifferent, but as we have Franklin Graham and his ilk here, there is also strong opposition who have no problem discriminating. If California still has a lot of issues, imagine what it is like in the south.

Re: IT HAPPENED TO ME: My Father Transitioned When I Was a Kid and It Was Nothing Like "Transparent" - by Sara Bibel

Sabrina Daphne Catlin — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 21:46:20 -0000

As a transgender woman, I thank you for being honest. It is hard to be friendly with a parent who is cold and logic driven, gender not withstanding. If you could have had the supportive parent you deserved, you probably would have a much different relationship. I walked away from my father because of abuse, We trans folk are just trying to survive and have a modicum of happiness. The bigotry and prejudice it out there hammering on us every day. I work with pflag parents who have trans kids. it is getting better very slowly.

So I am sorry you had issues, but am glad you recognise that your parent's gender had little to do with it. As for what you call her, that is between the two of you.

Re: Wells Fargo lights Charlotte office tower with transgender flag colors

Sabrina Daphne Catlin — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 14:15:59 -0000

This was at the request of charlotte Trans*PRIDE. I am the person who requested this. Wells has been very supportive of LGBTQ in general. I transitioned in place there also. As fund the fundies, in your face!! We are proud of who we are we exist, we are here and we are not going away..

Re: Wells Fargo lights Charlotte office tower with transgender flag colors

Sabrina Daphne Catlin — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 22:22:36 -0000

you are a freaking idjit. You go around like you re king of all, but in reality you are the king of bigoted ignoramuses. you also are one that has the blood of many innocents on your hands, indelibly staining them, as well as staining your stone of a heart black., as you spread your hate and are the direct cause of cutters and suicidal teens. So murderer I call you and murderer you are.

Re: Wells Fargo lights Charlotte office tower with transgender flag colors

Sabrina Daphne Catlin — Sat, 02 Apr 2016 09:00:44 -0000

ignorance will get you nowhere. Education is life. the meteor is coming and you are a dinosaur. learn, adapt and survive. fail to adapt and bye bye dinosaur

Re: Wells Fargo lights Charlotte office tower with transgender flag colors

Sabrina Daphne Catlin — Sun, 03 Apr 2016 00:53:26 -0000

This story is very real, as I am the one who requested the lights. I face the transphobic daily and a great many of them are LGB,. One would think they would learn their history. Without trans women there would have been no stonewall or Compton. there would have been no LGBT right movement. We lead the way and then the gay white males throw us and everyone else to the curb. Guess what, the fight for rights is not the sole property of the gay white male, even though you would not know to look at some national organizations. They scream when we demand out rights, as they feel we are encroaching on their privilege. Know what? I served 8 years in the military to protect the rights of the transphobic person who has not ever served, and yet they think I have not earned my rights. There are around 300K transgender veterans in this country, and over 5k serving actively. many of you claim to not know a trans person, but guess what, you probably have talked to one, worked with one, and maybe even hit on one and never knew. We are in all walks of life. so you phobes will learn sooner or later you are on the wrong side of history.

as I noted in an earlier post, the meteor is inbound and you dinosaurs need to adapt or you will go extinct.

Re: Wells Fargo lights Charlotte office tower with transgender flag colors

Sabrina Daphne Catlin — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 22:18:03 -0000

ahh separate but equal,, i suppose we should have our own drinking fountains, sit in the back of the bus and be subservient to people who think they rule this roost.

You need to really do some research and educate yourself. There is medical and psychological proofs we are who we are and are not deluded or sick.

People like Phillip are the ones who drive many to be cutters and go suicidal. They are the ones who want to get rid of LGBT, they want us in concentration camps or even outright kill us.. Sounds very reminiscent of latter 1930's Germany. We are headed the same road with all the republicans driving that bus. Every single one of them has innocent blood on their hands and are complicit in the deaths of those innocents driven to the final measure because of the abuse and discrimination. Face the truth of your existence Phillip, and maybe you might find a bit of shame, humbleness and compassion. I don;t think you could face yourself in the end though...

Re: Asheville Teacher Leaving NC, Says HB2 Made Her Feel 'Not Wanted'

Sabrina Daphne Catlin — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 19:36:46 -0000

If you research the definition of genecide, you will see that Hb2 fits the charge of attempted genocide. It is clearly aimed squarely at the trans population in an effort to spur harm and discrimination against that population in an effort to deny they exist... Dispute me if you will, but I am one of those targeted and I am looking down that barrel, and I see it very clearly. The opposition is emboldened to discriminate in public, even get violent in some cases, without fear of consequences. If we get into an altercation, we are automatically the ones that started it. Shoddy treatment of a human being, and I am a veteran also. I am one of those who has to carry my ID and my birth certificate everywhere in case someone in authority challenges my rights to the women's room. This smacks of the late 1930's Germany. Going to the bathroom? Papers please.