Very true! 5's!

fun to sing along with...5s

Great rhyming to the original's syllables, great parody of the original's lines of "Jesus loves you more than you will know", and even though I personally dislike the tone of the parody, I must be honest and give it the vote of 5-5-5 that it very much deserves....good writing here, Royce.

Here are some fives for your parody,
Don't agree with ev'rything you say--
Hey-hey-hey-- Still, it was one clever parody, Readers love it more than I can show, Woah-woah-woah... Woah-woah-woah!

Bishop Robinson will never be beneath you, Royce, but such prejudice certainly is. I thought you were better than this.

I've already posted my vote and commented on this parody, but Michael does have a point...the "5" I voted for "How Funny" is my reading of "How Over The Top" the parody is in its shamelessly lambasting & preaching sentiment. It still gets my triple 5. But overall, the parody unfortunately conveys a tone that I said previously that I dislike. Way, way too judgemental and holier-than-thou. Sorry, Royce, that's just my opinion here. I personally would not want to speak so judgementally about someone, especially while speaking in a tone as hateful as this parody's tone.

But all that said...Royce, you're exercising your Freedom Of Speech here - - - and if readers like me don't like it, well, I guess I can lump it! This is America, and I love it when people speak their minds freely, even if I don't love what they say! Rock on, Royce, rock on! ;-)

Since you're name-dropping Jesus, bear in mind that the Jesus of the Bible treated people exactly the opposite way of how you treat them here. This is hateful, hurtful, and utterly unfunny.

"He won't be enchanted with your cupcakes" -- man, if I had a nickel for every time I heard that...fun read, Royce.

thanks for the comments, to all, pro and con, and I figured there would be both; this is the age of "everyone did what was right in their own eyes", and I am using my words to try to point that out--

After thinking about your comments a little, I have the following to say to Johnny D, - hate doesn't enter into it; I don't hate Bishop Robinson, I hate what he does. There's a real difference there, you know.....

No offense, Royce, but I've heard that old cliche before about hating the sin but loving the sinner. Sorry, but I don't buy it. What Bishop Robinson "does" is an integral part of who and what he "is". Just my opinion. Peace! ;-)

Johnny, everyone's a sinner; I have a problem with people who say that people like me, who say what they think, (and not what people want to hear) HATE, just because they say what they think.

That's okay, Royce. You and I are just both saying what we respectively think, that's all. Let's keep expressing our opinions to each other openly and honestly just like this - - - that's what Freedom of Speech is all about! I was not saying that because you choose to say what you think that means you hate - - - I choose to say what I think and I certainly don't think that means I hate. And I do not hate you, Royce. I respect your courage of your convictions, especially in the midst of a world that is often so devoid of morality and spirituality. God bless you, Royce, and keep speaking your mind, please. Peace.

Royce - - - I apologize for the tone of my own comments and my responses to your comments here. I should not be strident, and I should not speak in an accusing manner, both of which I am guilty of here, and I apologize for that.

I guess what's really on my mind, after further reflection on my part in our discussion, is simply my own emotional reactions to the word "hate". I personally experience feelings of disapproval and profound dislike for actions I consider to be crimes and/or sins. But I don't feel hate towards them. I am able to recognize and totally reject behaviors and thoughts I find morally objectionable without experiencing the emotion of hatred towards those objectionable thoughts and behaviors....instead of hatred, I feel sadness, profound sadness, at the existence of behaviors I personally find to be morally repugnant.

So when I hear what I perceive to be an expression of "hate the sin but love the sinner", I experience that same profound sadness at how hate is mixed-in there, seeing as there's already so much hate in this troubled world.

Royce, please believe me, I do not consider you to be a hater. Perhaps I've just gotten myself confused here trying to deal with words that cause me pain and sadness....please forgive me for that, and I profoundly apologize if anything I said here offended you.

Johnny D's right; in practice, "hate the sin, love the sinner" is a justification for hatred, not a call for love. Besides, there's no difference between the "sin" and the "sinner" when you're talking about homosexuals, is there? It's disingenuous of you, Royce, to bristle at being accused of "hate"; call it what you like, but phrases like "you're such a sleaze," "your lies," "you are a blight," "the Evil that you choose," and "every time we look at you we lose" are hateful.

That comment by "Someone with a heart and a brain" was not written by me - - - I have nothing else to say regarding it.

Royce, I'm staying out of it. I don't know what Jesus would have said and whatever it was it wouldn't have been in English so I wouldn't have understood it anyway. So...no vote...really just came over to "protect" my good name(or whatever's left of it), since I have the same last name(and also, in 1970 I sent away to become a Minister in the Universal Life Church...that was free...for $25 I coulda been a "Doctor of Divinity", but I went for the "Free" Minister package instead).

"Someone with a heart and a brain"----there is a profound difference between sin and a sinner---sorry you can't see it; if I hated everyone who was a sinner I would hate myself and everyone else; and I am much more genuine than you are, because you can't even have the courage to say who you are

Example: being gay. Please explain the difference between the "sin" and the "sinner," and how you are simultaneously able to hate one and love the other.

to "Someone": okay, if we can have a sane discussion here, I'll try: A person is a person, and has a soul and spirit. It is not right for me to hate a person (a sinner). I can't honestly say that I hate anyone, but I sure can say that I hate what someone has done---as for gays in particular, you have to understand that marriage between a man and woman is a symbol of Christ and the church--that's what it says in the Bible, though I don't know chapter and verse. The union of a man and woman is a symbol of Christ and the church. NOT the union of a man and a man or a woman and a woman; I hate the desecration that people have brought to that symbolism. By the way, I do appreciate you being sincerely interested, it seems, and I think that many people do not know that the union of a man and a woman is a symbol of Christ and the church. And I think it's a symbolism that deserves alot of thought. It's one of those things that is very deep, and our shallow minds have to really dig to get out the meaning.

Royce, I've posted someting on "The Only Thread That Matters" that I'd like you to take a look at. Please give me your honest feedback.

The Bible has many passages about marriage. Some of these passages recommend polygamy. Some say that women must marry partners of their father's choosing. Some prohibit interfaith marriage. Some prohibit divorce. Some say that it's better not to marry at all. But not one of them expressly states that marriage must be between one man and one woman. Please explain why it's OK to brush aside those other passages and focus, instead, on the passage you reference. If that passage even exists, I'm sure that it (like everything in the Bible) has more interpretations than the one you choose. But this isn't just about marriage. It's clear to any unbiased reader of the Bible that Jesus's overriding message was one of love, tolerance, and compassion. So it's utterly hypocritical for so many "Christian" religions and their adherents to use the Bible as an excuse for intolerant, exclusionary, and even hateful positions.

"someone": I'd like to tell you that Islam has executed people for being gay; but more than that, I have given you my best conversation regarding this matter, and I'll repeat, the UNION of a man and woman, not just marriage, is a picture of Christ and the church...Jesus threw out people from the temple who were "money changers", not a picture of your "everything goes" theory. Everything is not okay, as much as you would like it to be, and your attempt to censure what I say in my parody is just that, an attempt to censure---I'm not going to say what you want, I'm saying what I want. You obviously have a problem with "Christians"; but as I point out, there are other religions which are utterly intolerant, even to the point of execution, and I certainly don't believe that's right. You will probably have more to say, but I'm through; but I'm going to do some thinking about the symbolism I pointed out to you, because it is something I would like to understand better, so thank you for at least one valuable thing from this "discussion"--and goodbye

I don't "have a problem with Christians"; I have a problem with narrow-minded people, regardless of the religion they choose to (or choose not to) practice. I also do not have an "everything goes theory," nor do I believe that "everything is okay." I do believe that discriminating on the basis of things like race, gender, religion, and sexual orientation is just plain wrong, and that discrimination includes preventing any of those groups from receiving the rights and freedoms enjoyed by others. I'll admit to being baffled by your philosophy, which seems to be this: "It is OK to rail against homosexuals because I think it says somewhere in the Bible that marriage is symbolic of the union of Christ and the church." But I respect your right to think and say whatever you want, and I hope you respect my right to be irritated by bigotry.

Before anyone here jumps to conclusions--I am asexual, attracted to neither gender. I don't have to be lesbian to believe that gay-bashing is wrong, any more than I have to be Jewish or black to believe that discriminating against those groups is wrong.

I will freely admit that the Bible condemns homosexuality, and that an actively gay person claiming to be Christian is ignoring or distorting the Bible to justify his actions. (Even though I don't consider homosexuality a "choice" or a "lifestyle", I still think that people in any religion ought to practice what it teaches.)

Aside from those issues, however...not every religious person in the world is Christian; some faiths do not even use the Bible as their sacred text. To a person practicing one of those religions (as I do), the Christian symbolism of sex and/or marriage is completely irrelevant. If I had written a similar parody from the viewpoint of my own faith, I'd probably get a lot of "who cares what your holy texts have to say--we don't believe that" reactions.

The Bible doesn't "condemn homosexuality" any more than it condemns dozens of other tangential things; Bible-based religions and their adherents pick and choose which of the condemnations they agree with and which are antiquated silliness. When's the last time you heard a preacher insisting that we ostracize menstruating women (Leviticus 15:19-24)? Worship however you please, but before you go claiming that the Bible sanctions homophobia, be aware that you can base even the most outrageous belief systems on the Bible.

Ingeborg: I appreciate your comments and your tone is also refreshing; the only thing I regret is allowing comments on my parodies like this one---cause you see where it leads; I find it despicable that someone in the "church" who is a leader, spouts off that he is gay, and is proud of it; he is not a role model for anyone to follow, he is a blight, like I say in the parody, and I am focusing on the fact that he is a "leader" in the CHURCH; he's not an average joe looking for an apartment to rent and I'm "discriminating" against him; no, that's off the mark. I'm saying that it's particularly disgusting that the church will allow this, and it's a mockery of anything sacred. My comments are going back to what "someone" said--by the way, thanks for using your real name, Ingeborg; I am not going to enable my parodies with comments in the future, because I am weary of the lack of respect that people show for other persons' views. I don't need their comments nor their approval.

Let me get this straight--you submit a nasty, inflammatory attack parody on someone whose religious views differ from yours, and when someone engages you in debate you become "weary of the lack of respect that people show for other persons' views." Don't you find that a teensy bit hypocritical?

someone---you couldn't get anything straight if you had a ruler; hey, why don't you write your own parody about Robinson, from your point of view? I guarantee you I won't be accusing you of hate, discrimination, hypocrisy, or anything else--you don't like my words, pure and simple. And that's tough. And that's all I've got for you.

No, I don't like your words. I'm glad you gleaned at least that much from our exchange. As for accusations of hate, discrimination, and hypocrisy, if the shoe fits...

Thanks for joining in, Sonja, but please know that I am not suggesting that Royce should or will go to hell. That is not up to any of us to decide.

Pretty damn hateful. And with full rational justification to boot!

I can't believe that you were allowed to post such bigotry on this website. You do realise that you will also reap what you sow? And you sow hatred and ugliness.

I am disgusted too. You are in for a rude awakening, I can tell you that much.