“Mysterious ways” takes on new meaning

Religious leaders in that haven of morality Texas are upset over a group of atheist students at the University of Texas – San Antonio who have launched a program exchanging porn for bibles. The deal is simple: you give them a bible and they give you a Playboy. The program is called “Smut for Smut” since, according to student leader Ryan Walker, the Bible is "a very negative force in the history of the world".

Negative force or not, what’s really brilliant about this deal is how it satirizes the abusive absurdity of some evangelical groups. Even in uber-liberal Boulder we were subjected to grandstanding preachers shouting fire and brimstone on campus in the hopes of “saving” students. Offering up porn for bibles is essentially the same thing – advocating a position by demonizing the opposition and offering a chance at amnesty. Yes, it is highly offensive, but so is all that sermonizing evangelicals subject atheists, Jews, Muslims and pretty much everyone else to at every opportunity.

You know who I admire? The Jews. They don’t feel the need to shove their beliefs down the rest of the world’s collective throat. Jews practice their religion and worship God in their own way, all the while letting others do the same... or even, get this, not do the same if they choose not to.

What a concept.

Tags: religion society