Here’s a Christian who retweeted one of my Poes. If there is only one lesson to be learned from Laughing in Disbelief it’s to read the whole post and click the links.
Jonathan Swift wrote A Modest Proposal For preventing the Children of Poor People From being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country, and For making them Beneficial to the Publick in 1729. It’s been out for a few centuries so I think it’s OK to reveal a spoiler: The writer advocates the selling of poor Irish children. Said children will be made into food for the rich. Thus, an economic problem is assaulted on two fronts in that the population gets thinned out and money gets into the pockets of the poor.
It’s satire, BTW.
The piece is written straight. If a reader was only to skim the essay he or she would walk away with thinking that’s what the writer actually believes what he wrote. If a modern day version of A Modest Proposal came out today many people wouldn’t get it. In that group of people who don’t get would be a smaller group who’d think “Gosh, that’s a great idea!”
‘Cuz it’s the Internet and 20% of the population are batshit crazy.
And that’s where I come in. That 20% of the population intrigues me.
This post is actually dedicated to commenter Becky Lamdon who made my morning. She read my bit Waiting For Their Evangelical Friend To Come Out Of The Closet.
Here’s a sample from the piece:
Brewster County, Texas – Friends of Jonathan Carney are growing increasingly concerned that the 19-year-old mailman may never admit that he is gay. Brewster County is a place where everyone knows your name and friendships that were made in elementary school last a lifetime. And that is exactly why Johnathan Carney’s friends meet weekly to discuss the troubling condition many see daily.
It continues down a path of absurdity.
Becky felt very strongly after reading (skimming) it. And I respect other people’s feelings. I’m going to post her comment in its entirety here.
What an outrageous, offensive, libelous, arrogant, disrespectful, evil post and plan.
Jonathan’s sexuality is absolutely none of your or your fascistic little group’s business. If he doesn’t want to identify as a homosexual who the heck are you jerks to interfere in his life at all? You’re not his friends, you’re his enemies who want to use him to advance some anti-Christian homosexual political agenda.
Just because he may have no interest in girls doesn’t mean that he’s obligated to be interested in anal sex with men or that he’s doing anything wrong by refusing to approve of or participate in homosexuality.
His religious beliefs cannot and should not be questioned by people who want to harm him by forcing him to acknowledge something he does not wish to acknowledge.
If he wants to live a celibate life because he’s not attracted to women and doesn’t want to be anally raped by men, that’s absolutely his choice and right.
You disgusting people need to mind your own business…and I don’t mean disgusting because of your own sexuality, which I don’t care about, you’re disgusting because you think that he needs to be outed as a homosexual and be coerced into your idea of a “well-adjusted” life.
My favorite part is “If he wants to live a celibate life because he’s not attracted to women and doesn’t want to be anally raped by men…”
Just because it’s the internet and people love to double down, she wrote a follow-up comment.
Wow, just read your “wink” and I see that you’re simply a lying troll.
My comments remain relevant because what you posted is not in the least “absurd” because anti-Christian homosexual zealots do this sort of thing for real all the time.
But, good to know that you’re just an intolerant bigot and troll and can be safely ignored, which is why I guess there aren’t any other comments.
Ahhhhhh… I agree with something Betsy wrote with one little caveat. My original bit isn’t “absurd” only when you compare it to her comments. I can’t hold a candle to her.
Thanks, Internet, you never let me down.
Andrew Hall is the author of Laughing in Disbelief. Besides writing a blog, co-hosting the Naked Diner, he wrote two books, Vampires, Lovers, and Other Strangers and God’s Diary: January 2017
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