HOORAY! Maybe now we can begin to stop the last greatest human rights violation of our time in the United States!

If I ever get divorced from my husband, I will marry a woman! Yes I will!

How DARE the government tell me who I can or can't marry (as long as it's consenting adult!)

I knew it was WRONG to deny Gay people the right to get married when I was four years old! I wanted to marry my best friend Kristin and my mom said I couldn't because two girls could not get married and I was like "WHAT?!?!?! WHY NOT?????????? WTF???"

GAY MARRIAGE NOW!!!

Wait, I'm still stuck on not speaking in church or teaching, and "If I do any of these things and have, I repent of my sins." You must be from a very strict sect. Stricter than Mary practiced. Wow.

I've always thought it would be a relief to have more answers than questions in life. I've not experienced that.

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I wonder if you ladies would go along with an experiment with me?

Please quote me by clicking the blue "Quote" button on the lower right and then answer two questions. I promise not to use your answers against you but I want to show you (all) something.

#1. Are you prejudiced?

#2. Do you discriminate?

Yes and Yes.

I believe we all do. It may not be based on race or gender, but I think we all some group of people we are prejudiced against, and that we discrimate against.

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Who gave you these rights?

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal..."

At the foot of the cross the ground is level

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Ah, yes, but the precise nature of "their Creator" is not specified. Anything in existence was created, that's also self-evident.

The nature of the creator is not germane to the rights we, as people, have.

I wonder if you ladies would go along with an experiment with me?

Please quote me by clicking the blue "Quote" button on the lower right and then answer two questions. I promise not to use your answers against you but I want to show you (all) something.

#1. Are you prejudiced?

#2. Do you discriminate?

#1. Probably, but if I am, it is because I am ignorant.

#2. I would certainly hope not.

Wow!!! I have a schlewww of buddies in NJ and NY that will probably move to NJ just to be legally married. I lived with 4 gay men in college, they live in NJ btw. I hope to get an invitation very soon. How cool!

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letheaG: Looks like you all were having a Halloween party? Glad you had a good time with your friends!

I wonder if you ladies would go along with an experiment with me?

Please quote me by clicking the blue "Quote" button on the lower right and then answer two questions. I promise not to use your answers against you but I want to show you (all) something.

#1. Are you prejudiced?

#2. Do you discriminate?

Yes, to both of the above questions though I wish I could answer otherwise.

Ok, T_O_M, I participated, now show me somethin'.

I have nothing very fancy to show anyone about the quiz that I asked you to participate in.

But here we go: Some answered "yes" to both questions and some answered "yes & no" or "no and yes". It doesn't matter. Some answered “yes, but I am trying not to be.”

The reason for my test was to show something about language. I asked

#1. Are you prejudiced?

#2. Do you discriminate?

But most, if not all of you heard:

#1. Are you prejudiced against other races or other ethnic groups, etc?

#2. Do you discriminate against other races or other ethnic groups, etc?

The reason is that words have a real definition and a connotative definition.

My answers:

#1. Is TOM prejudiced?

Of course. When I go into a restaurant for the first time and they have steak and liver on the menu, I choose steak. That is prejudice. I have never had that steak before, but I am sure that I am going to like it more that I would like the liver.

#2. Does TOM discriminate?

Of course. I just discriminated against the liver.

Well, if someone from today's society was translating a book from 500 years ago and came across the word Prejudice, he might add that late twentieth century connotation of race into his translation.

Today, when we hear the word "intercourse", we automatically add the word "sexual" to it. I remember studying the war of 1812 in history in JHS and we learned about a "Non-intercourse act". No wonder they were fighting a war, they could not relieve their tension with sex.

And here is the Prologue to Beowulf, a Poem written in England around 1000 years ago.

Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum,

þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,

hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.

Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum,

5 monegum mægþum, meodosetla ofteah,

egsode eorlas. Syððan ærest wearð

feasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad,

weox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þah,

oðþæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra

10 ofer hronrade hyran scolde,

gomban gyldan. þæt wæs god cyning!

Ðæm eafera wæs æfter cenned,

geong in geardum, þone god sende

folce to frofre; fyrenðearfe ongeat

15 þe hie ær drugon aldorlease

lange hwile. Him þæs liffrea,

wuldres wealdend, woroldare forgeaf;

Beowulf wæs breme (blæd wide sprang),

Scyldes eafera Scedelandum in.

20 Swa sceal geong guma gode gewyrcean,

fromum feohgiftum on fæder bearme,

þæt hine on ylde eft gewunigen

wilgesiþas, þonne wig cume,

leode gelæsten; lofdædum sceal

25 in mægþa gehwære man geþeon.

Him ða Scyld gewat to gescæphwile

felahror feran on frean wære.

Hi hyne þa ætbæron to brimes faroðe,

swæse gesiþas, swa he selfa bæd,

30 þenden wordum weold wine Scyldinga;

leof landfruma lange ahte.

þær æt hyðe stod hringedstefna,

isig ond utfus, æþelinges fær.

Aledon þa leofne þeoden,

35 beaga bryttan, on bearm scipes,

mærne be mæste. þær wæs madma fela

of feorwegum, frætwa, gelæded;

ne hyrde ic cymlicor ceol gegyrwan

hildewæpnum ond heaðowædum,

40 billum ond byrnum; him on bearme læg

madma mænigo, þa him mid scoldon

on flodes æht feor gewitan.

Nalæs hi hine læssan lacum teodan,

þeodgestreonum, þon þa dydon

45 þe hine æt frumsceafte forð onsendon

ænne ofer yðe umborwesende.

þa gyt hie him asetton segen geldenne

heah ofer heafod, leton holm beran,

geafon on garsecg; him wæs geomor sefa,

50 murnende mod. Men ne cunnon

secgan to soðe, selerædende,

hæleð under heofenum, hwa þæm hlæste onfeng.

Yes! We had to read that in Senior's English class in high school.

That is English as spoken by the anchestors of the people who settled this country.

What I have hoped to show is though the Bible may have been inspired by God, a lot has happened to his words since then. Some of what has happened has been benevolent mistranslations or transcipt copying, but some has been maliscious tampering by emporas and kings (or queens).

Some of the problems of the meanings of the bible has to do with the prejudices (not racial) of the translators. Some with the prejudices of people who want to keep their family in power and control of the masses.

I hope that I didn't disappoint anyone with my little experiment.