Today in Christian Supremacy

A municipal judge in southern Alabama is giving folks who commit misdemeanors a choice: either go to church, or go to jail. According to WKRG TV:

The city judge will either let offenders work off their sentences in jail and pay a fine or go to church every Sunday for a year.

If offenders elect church, they're allowed to pick the place of worship, but must check in weekly with the pastor and the police department.

First of all, electing to not worship will land you in jail (despite, I might add, having only being convicted of a misdemeanor). Second, to elaborate on one comment on the original story, "every Sunday" and "the pastor" don't appear to be inclusive of religious folks who happen to not share the judge's particular Christian faith.

According to WKRG,

[Bay Minette Police Chief Mike] Rowland says the program is legal and doesn't violate separation of church and state issues because it allows the offender to choose church or jail...and the church of their choice.

Of course, not church is not a choice. I suppose jail (:cough: for a misdemeanor) is choice, in a way. You know, 'go to church every Sunday or go to jail.' It kinda has a Spanish Inquisition vibe to it, when you think about it.

What We Have Here Is a Failure to Expect More

[Trigger warning for homophobia; bullying.]

California Christian Coalition Explains Repeal Effort Against Gay Education Law: Bullying Is Normal.

Among the anti-gay garbage (which I'm not posting because fuck him) spewed by Robert Newman, head of the California Christian Coalition, who are mobilizing to repeal the LGBTQI education bill signed into law this summer by California Governor Jerry Brown, there was this crap piece of justification for opposing the law:

There's always bullying against people who don't fit the norm. It's part of growing up; it's part of maturing. ... I hardly think that bullying is a real issue in schools.

Well, isn't it just splendid that Mr. White Straight Christian Privilege thinks that bullying isn't an issue in schools. What a hero.

Leaving aside the evident hilaritragedy of a man who defines "the norm" asserting that the bullying of people who "don't fit the norm" isn't an issue, it's terrible that he views bullying as inevitable. Bullying is not inevitable. Bullying is a choice, a behavior born of privilege and intolerance and abuse—all of which are themselves also not inevitabilities in this world.

Someone really needs to suggest to Mr. Newman that he expect more—of others, and of himself.