Cross-posted, hah. That's a first. This is half a rant and a bit of an old one I got from two hours of religious broadcasting one morning when Mum was feeling particularly damned. ----------------------
Religion, I realize, is an essential element in the lives of the majority of people. However, I have a horrible aversion to the stubborn superiority of most organized religions. There's such an utter lack of respect between belief systems today. Often unspoken, it's still evident in that smug look they get when confronted with a different faith. They have that "we'll see" look, like they're just waiting for judgment day so they can laugh when it's their god that appears. It's just like that first South Park movie with Mormon as the "correct" religion. It seems that everyone should be exposed to a variety of religions and allowed to follow whichever one that they truly believe in, without the criticism of others. Of course, the same open mindedness should extend to all aspects of an individuals life. *sighs* But I'm not that naïve. . . .
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First Reaction:
What a grand way to enforce society's horribly stifling standards. Don't parents even care what they're saying to kids when they ship them off to these places? I believe it translates as "You aren't good enough. It's wrong to be the way you are. You're wrong; you're worthless." and I can only imagine what it must do to a child if they come home the same or 'worse' than they left.
Read half of the LIA rules and regulations before my stomach made a real solid attempt at being violently ill. Kids can't be students during the sessions. . . wonder why that is. -__- Organized religion, what "educated" people. Sigh. You can't write either. No journaling is allowed. While I understand that they don't want in-depth accounts of the shit they're submitting these poor kids to, I believe that that's one of those basic "rights". Of course, those are meaningless now anyway. I very rarely feel anything akin to righteous indignation, but the knot in my stomach is, at least, breathlessly close to it. *bangs head into nearest solid object . . repeatedly* Don't they understand what this has to do to people? Sexual orientation is no more a sickness than their own religious orientation. I'm not speaking of what church they slave to, but rather their faith itself. The most spiritual people alive can no more be "converted" to a different belief than these people can "convert" to heterosexuality. Basically, a person can no more choose his god than he can his "soul mate". How are these possibly the same people that wonder at our society's lack of self-esteem? They only promote the intolerant, materialistic bullshit that cripples us, as both individuals and as a whole. Sigh. . if they don't understand the message their sending with "camps" like this (and I suppose any "corrective" camp is as degrading), how can they comprehend what they're so fervently fighting against? I'd almost want to see how they intend on straightening out these kids. Other than a continuous, potentially scarring guilt trip, what are they going to do: make the girls wear aprons and do chores while the boys learn to swear and play manly sports? Sadly, these people do seem to be that stereotyping.

Right, so the knot isn't aching as bad now. I'm going to need a way to get to these protests. . . while dear old Mum's all too aware of parental scar tissue to throw me to the zealot wolves, I need not give her an excuse to give Lakeside a go at me.


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