Homophobic Christian pretends to be gay for a year, writes book about experiment - Polidicks

Interesting experiment, but to be honest the article didn't go in detail how much it altered his beliefs.

[QUOTE=LtBubbles;36362057]So if i pretend to be a spider for a year...[/QUOTE] GOD DAMN IT YOU STOLE MY-Posting anyways. [i]And then overnight, I became a spider.[/i]

He took a big risk telling his parents and friends he was gay, if he really wasn't. If they're Christian and homophobic too (quite likely) they might have just disowned him or something.

[QUOTE=Marden;36365609]Interesting experiment, but to be honest the article didn't go in detail how much it altered his beliefs.[/QUOTE]That's why you buy the book.

[QUOTE=bull3tmagn3t;36361133]Reminds me of a story of a white guy who painted himself black to see what it was like. [URL]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Like_Me[/URL][/QUOTE] Well, I know another book that's going on my christmas list!

[QUOTE=Maloof?;36361542]I agree. I'm white and I live in one of the most racially diverse areas of my country (South Auckland, New Zealand). Before that I lived in one of the major Maori-central towns. Despite this (and despite my [B]deep[/B] dislike for racism), I still find myself sometimes making stereotypical judgements, not only about other races but also other 'types' of people, whether it's assuming that all these hard 'biker-gang' types are incapable of compassion or that a 'gangster'-looking teenager is just out looking for a fight. I think it's an inherent part of being human; the act of grouping people together and making sweeping assumptions. From a survival perspective it makes sense - 'all wolves are dick heads' is a very useful judgement to make when you're living in the forest and letting your guard down may result in being eaten. I don't think we'll ever get rid of it entirely. It's the expression of those judgemental thoughts that need to be tackled. Whether or not we allow those thoughts to hurt others.[/QUOTE] Exactly. "Everyone's a little bit racist". It's just how far you let it affect your actions.

[QUOTE=Clavus;36365889]Exactly. "Everyone's a little bit racist". It's just how far you let it affect your actions.[/QUOTE] I think it's possible to train your mind to not make those sweeping judgements, but would you want to? If you did such a thing, you'd read every single one of those scam emails thinking "oh, but this one might be genuine so I'll apply".

[QUOTE=KirinoKousaka;36366027]I think it's possible to train your mind to not make those sweeping judgements, but would you want to? If you did such a thing, you'd read every single one of those scam emails thinking "oh, but this one might be genuine so I'll apply".[/QUOTE] So when you see a scam email from nigerian prince you think "Oh it's from a supposedly black person, must be scam" ??

[QUOTE=SickJits;36361959]hate the sin, not the sinner i don't know why more people don't follow this[/QUOTE] Probably because it's saying "I don't hate you, I hate who you are.".

[QUOTE=Mrs. Moon;36361291]Reminds me of the Unlikely Disciple about a not-so-religious man who goes to attend Liberty University (Strikingly conservative and the largest Christian university in the U.S.) I'm glad this man did this. Jesus taught to love everybody. Of course, in the eyes of Christians, Homosexuality is still a sin. So excommunicating a homosexual is wrong if you don't excommunicate everybody else in the church. Everybody has lied. Everybody has lusted. What Christians are REALLY called to do is love them as if nothing were different. You don't love a "Gay" person, you love a "person". (insert video of Morgan Freeman on Racism) We shouldn't label, but we all do. And that's what causes problems in our society and religion isn't free from it. So, at least from my viewpoint of my faith, everybody is equal, we should all love everybody equally regardless of what they do, like his family. They showed him the love he expected.[/QUOTE] This of course excludes bronies

[QUOTE=DrLuke;36370233]This of course excludes bronies[/QUOTE] Grats, you will never be taken seriously again

Gaaaaay. But cool.

I'd love to read it. I always loved social experiments like this because they literally hold an incredible power to change minds and opinions.

[QUOTE=bull3tmagn3t;36361133]Reminds me of a story of a white guy who painted himself black to see what it was like. [URL]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Like_Me[/URL][/QUOTE] He didn't paint his skin, he took medication that causes darkening of the skin. (Which is much different than walking around in blackface)

I bet the reason his parents didn't freak out and disown him is they thought he was gay pretty much from the start.

[QUOTE=Character;36361100]gayborhood[/QUOTE] It's a fabulous day in this gayborhood, A fabulous day for a gaybor, Would you be mine? Could you be mine? It's a gayborly day in this fabuwood, A gayborly day for a fabu, Would you be mine? Could you be mine? I have always wanted to have a gaybor just like you, I've always wanted to live in a gayborhood with you. So let's make the most of this fabulous day, Since we're together, we might as well say, Would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won't you be my gaybor? Won't you please, Won't you please, Please won't you be my gaybor? Spoken: Hi television gaybor, I'm glad we're together again....

[QUOTE=Maloof?;36361542]I agree. I'm white and I live in one of the most racially diverse areas of my country (South Auckland, New Zealand). Before that I lived in one of the major Maori-central towns. Despite this (and despite my [B]deep[/B] dislike for racism), I still find myself sometimes making stereotypical judgements, not only about other races but also other 'types' of people, whether it's assuming that all these hard 'biker-gang' types are incapable of compassion or that a 'gangster'-looking teenager is just out looking for a fight. I think it's an inherent part of being human; the act of grouping people together and making sweeping assumptions. From a survival perspective it makes sense - 'all wolves are dick heads' is a very useful judgement to make when you're living in the forest and letting your guard down may result in being eaten. I don't think we'll ever get rid of it entirely. It's the expression of those judgemental thoughts that need to be tackled. Whether or not we allow those thoughts to hurt others.[/QUOTE] People usually build groups and communities. But to do so, they need a "we" and they also need a "them". There's always something that connects and differs them from other people, which also can cause such things as xenophobia, racism, homophobia - and other things like that - but they're surely not the entire explanation for such things. Of course, we will never get rid of such things. As being said by many people before - history repeats itself over and over. And so do ideas. The thing is to do the best we can to ensure that these roots will never get to a point where they become harmful.

[QUOTE=SinjinOmega;36361174]Sensationalist Title. This seems more like a way to face one's irrational fear.[/QUOTE] God forbid we post sensationalist headlines in the "sensationalist headlines" subforum

[QUOTE=prooboo;36372655]God forbid we post sensationalist headlines in the "sensationalist headlines" subforum[/QUOTE] you realise that the title of this section is a joke right deliberately misleading titles are bannable

[QUOTE=Sanius;36372878]you realise that the title of this section is a joke right deliberately misleading titles are bannable[/QUOTE] I don't see that in the rules

[QUOTE=prooboo;36372894]I don't see that in the rules[/QUOTE] there are a lot of common sense things which aren't laid out in the rules

[QUOTE=prooboo;36372894]I don't see that in the rules[/QUOTE] You must be new here.

[QUOTE=prooboo;36372894]I don't see that in the rules[/QUOTE]Yeah, one of the rules is that "It isn't in the rules" is not an excuse. I remember that old rule list, I remember a lot of things about Facepunch.

[QUOTE=prooboo;36372894]I don't see that in the rules[/QUOTE] did you know that most rules are based on common sense? aka dont do stuff you wouldnt do in real life.

[QUOTE=AJisAwesome15;36361154]So if I read this article correctly, this "experiment" made him change his homophobic viewpoint?[/QUOTE] To be completely honest, the fact that he was willing to actually undergo this experiment, after he saw what happened to one of his friends make me question that he had an irational hatred of gays to begin with. While he might have scoffed at them with no reason to do so, I'd say this was more of a sociatal thing.

[QUOTE=SickJits;36361959]hate the sin, not the sinner i don't know why more people don't follow this[/QUOTE] don't hate the player, hate the game, y'know what i'm sayin'

[QUOTE=Rents;36367111]Probably because it's saying "I don't hate you, I hate who you are.".[/QUOTE] A person is not only 'a gay.' While being gay is part of some people's lives, their entire life isn't just gayness. They do plenty normal things and have normal interests and goals like the rest of us, and they aren't defined only by the state of being gay. Sin does not equal sinnner.

[QUOTE=GrassyBat;36383367]A person is not only 'a gay.' While being gay is part of some people's lives, their entire life isn't just gayness. They do plenty normal things and have normal interests and goals like the rest of us, and they aren't defined only by the state of being gay. Sin does not equal sinnner.[/QUOTE] Try it with anything else. "I don't hate bronies, I hate people who enjoy MLP." "I don't hate blacks, I hate people with dark skin pigmentation." "I don't hate christians, I hate people who believe in an Abrahamic god."

[QUOTE=Rents;36383466]Try it with anything else. "I don't hate bronies, I hate [B]people[/B] who enjoy MLP." "I don't hate blacks, I hate [B]people[/B] with dark skin pigmentation." "I don't hate christians, I hate [B]people [/B]who believe in an Abrahamic god."[/QUOTE] You are putting in the people though. My versions would be: "I don't hate bronies, I hate an overzealous love of MLP." "I don't hate blacks, I don't like dark skin." "I don't hate christians, I hate the act of believing in an Abrahamic god."