Exactly. These roadside memorials are not an American ritual, and no American religion demands them. They're a new thing, and they're a public menace.

That's a bunch of crap. You can still make a grave in the graveyard even if the body isn't there. Or you can do it at your house.

This behavior (building cluttered memorials on the spot people were killed) is so bad where I live that we've had to start making laws against it.

Scientology is, in my view, another kettle of fish altogether, since the entire organization is essentially a con-game masquerading as a religious movement.

And then you took that statement and made up an entire straw man about how I was saying racism didn't exist or wasn't important. Thus, I accused you of not listening, because it's true. That's not anywhere near what I said.

I'm speaking primarily from an evangelical perspective. I know there are other more liberal churches that I disagree with on this issue,

Typical non-apology.

Everyone here was civil with you. Nobody even so much as insulted you.

It wouldn't make any difference. Atheists are bigoted assholes sometimes too. Religion is just a justification, not the cause.

I literally asked someone why what I said was offensive, and she deliberately refused to answer me.

Let's be real here. Nobody swore at you, and I did explain very succinctly and politely why the joke was offensive. You have no grounds for these complaints.

Yet another remake? Bleh

What's likely going to happen is some transwomen coming in here and telling you why your "compliment" was extremely hurtful. It'll mean more coming from them than from me.

Just gonna dig right in and make it worse, eh?

The problem is twofold.

Using a misogynistic "compliment" designed to compare to a man, on a transwoman?

Never underestimate the cognitive dissonance of conservative Christians. They're fucking nuts.

But their pastors have told them that the slavery verses are, for whatever reason, not supposed to be taken literally.

Ask those friends what they think of slavery, and then remind them that their bible endorses it completely.

That's total crap. She made the choice to believe that. Every Christian cherry-picks the bible. For instance, the bible LOVES slavery, but Sherri doesn't. That means she chose to disagree with her bible on that issue.