Just to help you out. When an apologist is in action, what are they doing? I will give you a hint. It isn’t “apologistizing”.

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Is your reading comprehension so low that you do not realize that I am “apologizing” for gay people who are supporting gay rights?

It makes it sound like you think gay people are evil.

The examples listed are examples of violent victories not political ones. Even then, they imply backtracking instead of maintaining the status quo until victory.

This was not a change in policy, it maintained the existing one, so that they could finalize their “divorce” amicably. There is a ton of properties as well as pensions involved. Properties that the UMC technically owns but was paid for by local congregations.

It might be worth noting that those gay bishops that I mentioned aren’t actually allowed under current church rules. If they forced the issue and the conservative churches brought them to court instead, there is no telling what the courts would decide. Making deals was likely the smart choice, even if it meant waiting a bit until they start offering gay marriages to their parishioners.

Compromises are useful when you want something. When your side is about to win you don’t blow up the organization unless you have a mental problem.

Also, from what I can tell the gay bishops voted for the compromise. If they thought it was the right way to handle it, I am not going to shame them for it.

We will see if they make good on it next year.

That seems to be more of a kick-the-can vote to allow the more conservative churches time to leave.

More than 6,000 United Methodist congregations — a fifth of the U.S. total — have now received permission to leave the denomination amid a schism over theology and the role of LGBTQ people in the nation’s second-largest Protestant denomination

With these departures, progressives are expected to propose changing church law at the next General Conference in 2024 to allow for same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ people.

https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2023-07-06/one-in-five-united-methodist-congregations-in-the-us-have-left-the-denomination-over-lgbtq-conflicts

as evidence for what Christianity in the US is like is intentionally misleading

If I was trying to claim that is that standard view, then it would be misleading. Since I was actually claiming that there are a wide variety of beliefs among Christians, some even aligning with your values, it is pretty spot on representation. Treating them all the same is prejudicial behavior.

A fair-minded person would give an individual a chance to act like an asshole before treating them like trash.

There is a difference between attacking someone who chooses a disgusting belief system and bigotry.

Bigotry is thinking, what I believe is right and everyone who believes differently is wrong.

To point at all varieties of Christianity and say, “you are bad,” is being bigoted.

Now go restore Roe v. Wade or you are useless to me.

If you want someone useful here are some people that agree with you and will help you fight, assuming you can manage to not call their belief system disgusting to their faces:

Rev. Angela Williams, a Presbyterian pastor and the lead organizer of SACReD: Spiritual Alliance of Communities for Reproductive Dignity, told Healthline that faith leaders and religious groups that support abortion rights have been preparing for this moment for a long time.

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/meet-the-religious-groups-fighting-to-save-abortion-access

Members of the Episcopal Church (79%) and the United Church of Christ (72%) are especially likely to support legal abortion, while most members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the mainline Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (65%) also take this position.

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2018/01/22/american-religious-groups-vary-widely-in-their-views-of-abortion/

It is unfortunate that you think so, there is a lot of wisdom in the various world religions.

We may be beyond the need for religion, but I doubt even that.

I have done and will continue to call out racial and homophobic bigotry as quickly as I do religious bigotry.

Unfortunately, as shameful as it is, one of those forms of prejudice is supported by most of the active population here.

Excuse me, but your bigotry is hanging out. Would you mind zipping up?

The dictation software we have is pretty shitty though.

As someone who used dictation software when said software needed to be trained first and also trained its users how to speak more clearly, it always amazes me when I hear people say things like this.

The problem is human speech is lazy and inaccurate. Half of the time I have to listen to a voice clip there are two or three words in the clip that are barely intelligible. If I don’t catch it by the third pass I stop and just guess by context. It is the same thing the AWESOME dictation software we have today does, but saves me the time and effort and gives the sender a chance to fix their own mumbles.

Of course, I’m one of those people whose voicemail message used to be, “Don’t leave me a message unless your call went straight to voicemail. I will see your missed call and call you back.”

How does it feel to be on the same side as most preachers and weekly church-goers?

Few things drives them more nuts than people who call themselves Christians and don’t even attempt to be followers of Christ. Trying and failing is one thing, and always an embarrassment to the church, but living like the worst dregs of society, while using that name, is worse than an intentional smear campaign.

Biblical wisdom mostly. Certain parts definitely don’t hold up to modern morality, but there is a lot well-thought-out advice buried in it that has helped people in Judeo-Christian areas for thousands of years.

One of the Proverbs in particular comes to mind: “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” Hard to argue against the inherent wisdom in such a statement.

Also, like you, I have an appreciation for old churches and some religious art.

I wouldn’t want to be reincarnated to earth, but reincarnated to a fantasy world with magic might be nice to try out. My biggest hangup with reincarnation is not bringing the wisdom of hard learned lessons with.

“Jesus H Christ” always made me smirk not sure why. Like Christ was his last name or something.

There is a sequel but it failed to capture the spirit of the first one. I think it used to be free on their website.

Also, when I watched it a few years back, they were working on a TV series but I am not sure if it ever got off the ground.