Dan Savage Ruffles Christian Feathers With “Bull$hit In The Bible” Comments

Posted by Christopher Welch on Apr 30, 2012 in The Critic | 28 comments

Last week Dan Savage, creator of the “It Gets Better” movement, was a keynote speaker at the National High School Journalist Conference in Seattle. Savage has never been shy about voicing his displeasure with conservative Christian values in this country and used his time on the podium to share his feelings about the influence of Christianity on teen bullying.

“We can learn to ignore the bullshit in the Bible about gay people — the same way we have learned to ignore the bullshit in the Bible about shellfish, about slavery, about dinner, about farming, about menstruation about virginity about masturbation. We ignore bullshit in the Bible about all sorts of things.”

Savage’s comments resulted in a number of attendees leaving the room in protest which prompted him to later comment the following:

“You can tell the Bible guys in the hall they can come back now because I’m done beating up the Bible. It’s funny as someone who is on the receiving end of beatings that are justified by the Bible how pansy-assed people react when you push back.”

Dan has never been one to sugarcoat things. While I may not agree with everything he says, I strongly agree with his point here. If people are going to point to the Bible to back up their discrimination against gays and lesbians, they may not disqualify the other morals simply because they don’t work for them.

What do you think about Dan Savage’s speech? Was he out of line by saying this to an audience of high school kids?

Anonymous

Go Dan. If you hadn’t noticed before, these wingnut WATBs get bent out of shape the moment someone speaks the truth about them.

I just wish he hadn’t apologized even in part. It’ll make him look weak to them and they circle weakness like sharks.
Anonymous

I WISH my principal was cool enough to let him come in. It definitely couldn’t hurt for someone as smart and funny as him to come in and get some of my peers to think about something more important than, say, their iPods and outfits.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=570556205 Paul Miller

I don’t see how he was even remotely wrong or why he should even mildly apologize.
Anonymous

Yes, If his goal was to polarize, anger, and build resistance to the cause of acceptance and and understanding, he did a GREAT JOB. He likely won NO new friend for the cause.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1163700090 Matthew W. Keilman

One of the cardinal rules of public speaking that I was taught in college was never to do a topic on morally based topics, because morals are the hardest standing to change.

Fact is, the people who walked out of that audience were firmly set in their beliefs and probably weren’t even listening in the first place. These are deeprooted feelings that these kids have had pounded into them by the media and by their parents and general upbringing, most of the time.

Point is….. I would bet that there were people sitting in that audience who said “wow, I’ve never thought of it that way”. Sometimes, you have to break some eggs to make an omelette. Well done, Dan.

http://www.facebook.com/benjamin.r.cox Benjamin R. Cox

As a Spiritualist minister, and a student of the Bible, I have to agree. I would not have phrased it quite the way he did, but there are many issues on which the Bible is simply WRONG! And having been created over 2000 years ago, it does not address some of the issues of our modern world in a way that is applicable to our situation and circumstances. Also, the comment about fighting back, I would rephrase as having an open discussion, knowing how difficult that can be when the people you are talking to are closed up in their walls of, “I’m right, you’re wrong!”. Being a Spiritualist, I know what that’s like! Keep up the good work, Dan!!
http://www.facebook.com/rafazzel Rafazzel Dre Abreu

I Love Him.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Brian-Hall/100001790386413 Brian Hall

He was as right on as he always is! Right on Bro….
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1118876958 Peggy Cooper-Lubbers

The man spoke TRUTH! No matter how you “cut” it, Bible-Thumpers can’t cry ”OFFENDED” when their Bible is attacked because they are using that text as a weapon to attack the lives others. Therefore, they have made the Bible open for debate. Great Job!
Anonymous

I think he was completely correct. High school is the best place for his comments. It’s the high school kids who are commiting suicide because of anti-gay bullying. It’s the high school kids that can hopefully have the rigid, cruel views that their parents instilled in them ripped away and learn to think for themselves. Those who left the room had no hope of being reached anyway, but for those that stayed; If he reached even one of those kids; inspired even one of those kids; then that is one more chance for the world to become a better place.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Kevi-Equality/100002106564260 Kevi Equality

His language was simply too harsh and improper given the age of the audience. He should have worded it thusly: “the digestive byproducts that result from male cloven-hooved animals repeatedly processing a high fiber diet through their four chambered stomachs” or something to that effect. He also should have said ‘miltoniopsis-like buttox’ – I’m sure none of them would have been offended by that, as I doubt any of the would have had a clue what he was talking about.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000876857957 Todd Plaster

I don’t agree. You hire Dan Savage because you want Dan Savage , not Dan Savage ” Light ” If anyone was at fault for Dan Savage being at this venue it was the people who asked him to speak there.
Anonymous

Too harsh given the age of the audience? LOL, when was the last time you were in a highschool? I’ve heard some of the most foul, disgusting, things come out of kids’ mouths all my years while I was in Catholic Middle School and public highschool. You wouldn’t believe things I’ve heard 10-year-olds say even. I’m sure these “kids” hear far worse in the hallways in between classes.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Grey-Diamond/1547664306 Grey Diamond

I love this guy.
http://profile.yahoo.com/HFT6XGWBKWP2LPS5Z7DRW4F2ZM Community

I agree, if you are upset at the language here, you obviously have not known Dan Savage for a long time–he is to the point, and kicks ass. He talks this way on his late night show on MTV, and even writes that way.
Michael Cooke

Dan Savage delivered Dan Savage, inviting HIM to speak to teenagers at a high school may be dubious, but you cannot damn Dan Savage for being who he is: an outspoken gay sex advice columnist. Were he a porn star, it would be very clear the porn star was being a porn star and the person inviting the porn star is wrong.

One right wing blog has claimed Dan Savage is an ANTi Christian Activist, in condemning the exchange. Savage’s argument were very much on point, it is a shame he couldn’t work with milder epithets so the Christians could find themselves listening and thinking.
Anonymous

The bible is bullsh*t. Religion is enslavement. Human kind will only be truly free once they throw off the shackles of religion!
http://www.facebook.com/michael.stanton.jr Mike Stanton

the sooner we can reach people about hate and discrimination the easier it will be to teach them
http://www.facebook.com/thefamilycalleddouglas KyleandLindsay Douglas

I loved his point, but I feel it was misplaced in a high school setting. Or maybe it could have been said a little bit differently while still driving the point home. It gets hard to speak in kind terms when your rights are taken away, but I feel the Gay Rights movement can always get better in this thought: When trying to change someone’s mind, honey goes down better than vinegar. Once again, the POINT he was making is a good one, but we want to present it to Conservative Christians in a way that will make them WANT to think about it, not exit the building. Either way, I don’t blame him for what he said at all. I thought his point was excellant. This idea needs to be promoted.
http://www.MaleEroticEvolution.com/ Michael!

HURRAY FOR DAN! We need more people willing to speak out as boldly as he does. There is tons of bullshit in that Bible…let’s face it. It is a product of man (just like the other religious documents in our world) as such, it has issues built right into it.
http://twitter.com/TStrick67 Tanya Strickland

I heart Dan Savage.

He’s right – the thumpers can dish it out but they can’t take it. No apologies. Saying there is bullshit in the Bible is still less painful for them to hear than the pain they and/or others like them have inflicted on fellow students by calling them fags, dykes, queers, etc.
mtmorris12000

Dan Who ???
http://twitter.com/VQAlex Vegetarian Queer

I loved it. Go DAN!!! He is so right about the bible if christians are so anal about following the bible then a lot of things would be different. You can’t pick your issues if you say you are following one certain thing. It’s all control and BULLSHIT.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1606260137 Chris Hannah

I kind of have to say that Dan Savage kind of fucked up on this one. His whole premise is anti-bullying and to turn around and say something like that is unacceptable. It doesn’t help the cause, it hurts it. Yes, there should be a taught a “no bull-shit” way of thinking, but don’t be an ass about it. You won’t get anywhere harping about something, you have to actually teach it and discuss it. If you lower yourself to their level, then you’re no better than them. I admire Dan savage and what he’s done, but that was a stupid move. At least he had the balls to apologize immediately.
http://www.facebook.com/dorian.elliott Dorian Elliott

In case you didn’t know there is a movement in the Christian community to start taking the Bible seriously but not literally. I think one of the reasons for this is because they want to have and give the love Christ suggests but realize it’s very difficult to do that when you sit in judgment of others. A good portion of this type of change comes from young people (as change often does). I don’t think it’s helpful for Mr. Savage to alienate the very people who are capable of making a difference within a very large segment of the population. Further, anyone who thinks the reason kids pic on kids is because the Bible told them to is an idiot, children are beasts and need no encouragement. I still believe in the movement Mr. Savage started but I wish he’d let the good stuff come as it surely will without adding all the extra hate in the middle.
http://www.facebook.com/timxoc Timothy Cox

My hero.
http://www.facebook.com/crain.snyder Crain Snyder

Not only is he right (about the bible being a bull sandwich wrapped in pretty leather), but he is also a very attractive man.

And, I don’t understand when people invite a speaker or attend their lecture-thing and then get offended about what they say. Most people don’t suddenly change who they are and what they believe just because they are in front of people.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Nathan-Harris/713383789 Nathan Harris

I don’t think he was out of line at all.

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